Patrick Peterson hailed the splashy signing of J.J. Watt by the Arizona Cardinals as a “great pickup,” but the eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback’s future with the franchise is uncertain as he heads into free agency next week.
“I know that I will be playing football for someone, if it’s the Cardinals or someone else,” Peterson told USA Today Sports on Monday. “I’m a go-with-the-flow-type guy. That’s out of my control.
“I’ve done everything I can do to show my worth, and I can still play this game. I know I will be playing football for somebody, so that’s my approach.”
The 30-year-old Peterson had three interceptions and 61 tackles for the Cardinals last season, the final year of a five-year deal worth $70.05 million. While his future with the Cardinals is uncertain, Peterson recently denied a “dirty rumor” he and the team were definitively going to part ways.
Watt, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year as an edge rusher with the Houston Texans, surprisingly signed a two-year deal worth $31 million with the Cardinals last week.
“I thought it was a great pickup. It’s just a sense that the organization is going in the right direction,” Peterson said. “I thought it would be great for [general manager] Steve [Keim] and the Cardinals organization to go after a guy like J.J.
“When you have a guy like that on the market, you have to put it all on the line to risk it and put players on the roster to give you a good chance to win the championship. They made a big splash, and we all know if you’re able to get to the quarterback effectively, you have a good opportunity to win.”
Peterson added that he hasn’t begun negotiations with Arizona on a new deal ahead of the March 17 opening of free agency. After the Watt signing, the Cardinals currently are projected to have around $13.6 million in cap space, according to Spotrac, but that number can be increased by releasing players or with contract restructurings.