Patrick Peterson officially retired from the NFL as a member of the Arizona Cardinals on Monday after 13 seasons. Though Peterson did not play during the 2024 season, he didn't officially retire until Monday, when he got the opportunity to hold a retirement presser with the team that drafted him No. 5 back in 2011.
Peterson spent 10 years with the Cardinals before departing for the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons. Peterson then closed his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023. Though Peterson's tenure with the Cardinals ended on a rocky note, he said the decision to return to Arizona to officially retire was an easy one.
"It was a no-brainer," Peterson said. "There was a lot of things said and, it wasn't the greatest departure, but at the end of the day this is where my legacy is—this is where my legacy started. Me and [Cardinals owner] Mr. Bidwill had an opportunity to have conversations leading up to this and, like I said, it was a no-brainer because being able to achieve some of the things that I achieved as an Arizona Cardinal, only so many people had the opportunity to do that, like going to eight straight Pro Bowls, a three-time All-Pro one time as a specialist—being named to the 2010 All-Decade team. So, my career is here. It lives here."
Arizona Cardinals celebrate Patrick Peterson as he retires a Cardinal https://t.co/5nHW37m9Lk
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 14, 2025
Peterson added that he feels he still can continue playing, but does not want to. He is retiring without regrets.
"I love the game still, dearly, and I still can play, but I do not want to play," Peterson said. "So, let's just get that out there—I can still play, but I do not want to play. I'm having a good time right now, enjoying my time with the family, golfing with my buddies, still traveling.
"This is a young man's game now," he continued. "You see all these grays on my chin now. Quite frankly, at my position, I'm not accepted anymore, but I can live with that because, at the end of the day, I had a great 13-year career. There's no regrets.”
Peterson wraps up his career with 652 total tackles, 36 interceptions, 408 interception return yards, and 1,891 punt return yards. He goes down as one of the best cornerbacks of the 2010s, and a great player in the Cardinals' history.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patrick Peterson Doesn’t Have Any Doubts About Retirement Decision.
