Patrick Peterson has long been one of the faces of the Arizona Cardinals and many were hoping that he would play out his entire career with the franchise. While that still remains a possibility, it is seeming more and more likely that he will leave town in free agency. One potential landing spot could be the Indianapolis Colts.
For the Colts, they are looking to make moves to push themselves back into Super Bowl contention in 2021. Carson Wentz was already acquired via trade and Chris Ballard still has a lot of money to work with. Indianapolis still has work to do defensively and Peterson could make a lot of sense.
One NFL scout, who requested to remain anonymous, pinpointed the Colts as a team to watch when it comes to Peterson in free agency.
“Patrick Peterson’s time with the Cardinals is over, barring a change of heart from both sides. He will have quite a few suitors, with one of them being the Colts. Indianapolis isn’t far away from a Super Bowl appearance and they could throw a nice offer at Peterson to beef up their playmaking in the secondary.”
Peterson may not be the superstar playmaker that he once was, but he is still capable of being an elite cornerback. He still has great speed and athleticism and his instincts have always been better than most.
During the 2020 season with the Cardinals, Peterson racked up 61 total tackles to go along with three interceptions and eight defended passes. Those numbers show why a team like the Colts should put together an aggressive offer in free agency.
Last year, the Colts were impressed with veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes. He came in and put tougher a big season and Indianapolis would like to re-sign him. Kenny Moore and Rock Ya-Sin are both talented young corners as well.
However, the Colts would improve by adding Patrick Peterson to their defense. Whether he replaced Rhodes or started across from him, Matt Eberflus would be getting an elite playmaker. The Colts also have a good pass-rush and could look to improve that area as well, which could cause quarterbacks to make mistakes with a stacked secondary with Peterson added to the group.
Plenty of other teams will pursue Peterson as well. Even the Cardinals could still bring him back. Either way, the Colts will have to be aggressive if they want to sign the veteran star.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors surrounding Patrick Peterson when free agency opens. Don’t be surprised if the Colts are one of the teams trying to land him.
