Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were looking for cornerback Patrick Peterson to replace Cam Sutton, who left for Detroit. Although he’s off to a slow start, Peterson has improved through the defensive structure, but with a cap hit of nearly $10 million this season, he’s unlikely to play to those numbers. That means Peterson will have to extend his time due to a pay cut or he could be released.Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes the same will happen.
In an interview with the Steelers this week, Fittipaldo believed that Peterson might be a victim of the scrum as well.”If you don’t take a pay cut to pay it back, it’s better than 50/50,” Fittipaldo wrote. “This is my analysis: I can’t imagine paying $10 million for a player who can’t play on the field.
A hybrid rotation safety cannot catch a player’s coverage hit.Peterson is the only veteran under contract through the 2024 season. Levi Wallace, James Pierre and Chandon Sullivan are all free agents. Meanwhile, Corey Treece, Darius Rush and Joey Porter Jr. participate. They have a lot of young depth, but they need a veteran to lead them.
Teams could consider the depth of this cornerback class and add to it in the NFL draft, but their decision on Peterson will determine how urgent their needs are in free agency and the NFL draft. Peterson is expected to receive a $3 million bonus in March and make $3.85 million in 2024, bringing his annual salary to $9.775 million next season.
Porter is now clearly the No. 1 outside cornerback. 1 on the team, and Peterson could man the No. 2 spot or play the slot or safety position, but those positions typically don’t come with the same price tag as a top outside linebacker.
