Patrick Peterson says he wants to play for Bengals, then joins Steelers

UPDATE

Well, so much for that.

According to multiple media reports, Patrick Peterson has agreed to a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So much for that.

On Adam Schefter’s podcast released on Monday, free agent cornerback Patrick Peterson stated that he wouldn’t mind signing with the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2023 season and that he likes what they’re doing as a team.

“I really like what the Bengals have,” he said. “They have a quarterback. They have a great staff on the offensive side of the ball. I know Eli Apple is gonna be a free agent coming up. I feel I can come in there and help those guys you know because, obviously, you’re going to be going up against other high-quality quarterbacks in the playoffs almost each and every year, against Patty Mahomes. So you’re going to need some quality cover guys that can kind of keep those guys in check.”

The Bengals are in need of more depth at the cornerback position. Eli Apple is headed to free agency leaving the Bengals with second-year player Cam Taylor-Britt, 29-year-old slot corner Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie, who is coming off a season-ending injury and is entering the last year of his contract. There isn’t much depth behind those three, though the Bengals did re-sign Jalen Davis for two years.

Peterson, a two-time All-Pro, is coming out of his second one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings in which he intercepted five passes and broke up an additional 15, earning a PFF coverage grade of 79.7. He will be 33 years old by the time the season starts, and is likely looking to cement his NFL legacy with a Super Bowl win as his career begins to wind down.

Peterson signed his one-year deal with the Vikings before the 2022 season for $4 million, $3.5 million of which was guaranteed. He’s likely looking to sign a similar contract and could be on the Bengals radar.

The Bengals, however, may feel they have their starting outside corners in place, considering Awuzie’s solid performance over the last season and a half before his injury, and how well CTB played during his rookie year. Signing Peterson probably puts one of those two in a backup role. Still, it’s nice to see big-name players saying they’d like to come to Cincinnati.