Patrick Peterson suspension leaves more questions than answers

The Patrick Peterson saga continued for the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday with the announcement of a six-game suspension

Earlier today we found out why Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson has been missing in action at team headquarters and why he reportedly had been upset with the team.  It all stemmed from a six-game suspension from the NFL for use of a banned substance.

Normally these suspensions for a first time offense carry a four game penalty.  However Peterson received six, which means he tried to cover it up.

He was reportedly upset because he tried to get the Cardinals to re-work his contract so that he wouldn’t lose as much money.  He is due to lose close to $4 million due to the suspension.  However the Cardinals could not re-work it.

Peterson can play in the preseason and participate in all team activities leading up to the regular season.  He will not miss any training camp.

Here’s where it get’s interesting.  Some fans don’t want him back.  They want him gone now.  They think the Cardinals missed the boat by not trading him last season when he demanded it.

So exactly when did the Cardinals know?  Clearly they knew well before Thursday’s announcement.

When did Peterson know he had a banned substance in his system?  Before he took it or before he was tested? Reports are he didn’t know at the time he took it.

Where do the Cardinals go from here?  At this point, you have to believe they are weighing all options but are likely going to stick with him for now.

He really wouldn’t be of any value until teams see where they are closer to the trade deadline.  For what it’s worth, he should stay in Arizona.

Fans that want him gone now are understandably not happy with this development.  They were counting on him coming back and leading the way for the younger guys like second round draft pick Byron Murphy.  Now Murphy is thrust into possibly starting.

It is kind of amazing how quickly fans turned on Peterson but waited forever to see former Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington return from his failed tests.  He failed multiple times but all many could talk about was getting him back.

Constantly fans wanted to know Washington’s status.  They’d ask local media often.  However they want no more of Peterson.

Not everyone feels that way.  I don’t.  The Cardinals have invested a lot into Peterson.  We don’t have every fact of this case and the Cardinals likely know the whole story at this point.

Let him prepare for the season and ride out the suspension.  Whether the two sides want to do business going forward after that remains to be seen.