Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson facing lengthy suspension
By Avery Duncan
Arizona Cardinals’ star cornerback won’t play the first six games of the season.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Arizona Cardinals will be without cornerback Patrick Peterson for the first six games of the season. The NFL has reportedly suspended him for most of the first half of the 2019 regular season due to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
This is not a good look for Peterson’s camp. Rumors have been swirling around the perennial All-Pro about his potential departure from the team, as he’s reportedly not happy with the moves made by the team. His suspension not only keeps their defensive leader off the field, it also means his trade value has decreased.
Originally, Peterson faced an eight-game suspension, but that has been narrowed down to six, per Schefter. The removal of two games comes from Peterson’s dropped appeal of the situation. But it will still be costly, his lost wages will reportedly be around $3.8 million. If he stays with the Cardinals, his first game next season will be on October 20th, versus the New York Giants.
This is far from the news that the Cardinals wanted to hear. But, they are ready for it as they’ve added talented cornerbacks in the form of Robert Alford and Byron Murphy. The latter is a rookie and most believed he was worth a first-round selection in the draft.
Fortunately, the Redbirds were able to draft the Arizona native at pick No. 33 overall, in turn, solidifying the future of the position.
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Whether or not this means Peterson’s time in the desert has finished is not yet known. But this doesn’t help. Though the Cardinals are in a better position at cornerback than in years prior, losing a Hall of Fame talent via suspension does hurt. Hopefully, Murphy can perform up to his lofty expectations.