Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson announced on his All Things Covered podcast with Bryant McFadden that he will be returning to the team on a one-year deal.
“It feels great,” Peterson said about his return. “There’s a great group of guys in the locker room. .. I just felt that it was right just to be there and grind together with those guys and try to come together for that common goal.”
Peterson also cited the improvements that the Vikings made this offseason including bringing in new head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“The team is stacked,” Peterson said. “Last year, we just couldn’t put it all together in certain situations. We got even better…in the offseason by adding a great offensive mind in Kevin. [We] added [Za’Darius Smith] to help Danielle [Hunter]. …These guys are definitely trying to put the pieces in the right place and that’s all on [us] to go out and execute and put together the best gameplan possible.”
Peterson signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings last spring. His first season in Minnesota was solid, making 45 tackles with one interception that was returned for a touchdown.
But that pick came in the Week 18 finale against the Chicago Bears, where the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention. He also dealt with a hamstring injury that limited him to 13 games.
Peterson’s return will still be a welcome sight for the Vikings. Prior to the draft, Peterson will slot in as Minnesota’s No. 1 cornerback ahead of Cameron Dantzler and Kris Boyd.
With almost every significant player returning from last season, Peterson’s decision is another sign the Vikings are running their roster back in 2022.
