Patrick Peterson: Critical Emails from Cardinals Fans Used to Be Put at My Locker

The Minnesota Vikings' 34-26 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday was especially meaningful for veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, who spent the first 10 years of his career in Arizona before signing with Minnesota in 2021.

After the victory, Peterson revealed that the end of his tenure with the Cardinals still doesn't sit well with him. According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Peterson said he "routinely found disparaging emails from fans printed out and left on his chair during his final seasons in the Cardinals locker room."

He added that the emails were addressed to team ownership and contained "messages that ranged from his age to his tackling ability to threats to cancel season tickets as long as he remained on the roster."

Per Seifert, Peterson called it "mind-boggling" that someone within the Cardinals organization would want him to see those messages. He added that he remembered wondering, "What did I do to deserve this from a fan?"

Peterson had a strong performance in Sunday's win, finishing with four tackles and three pass breakups. There was a moment during the game when he mocked Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray with a celebration dance referencing the quarterback's affinity for "Call of Duty."

The 32-year-old explained that he still feels disrespected by how his time ended with the franchise.

"I'm still waiting on [general manager] Steve Keim to call me," Peterson said. "Still haven't talked to him."

After registering just four pass breakups in the first five games of the season, Peterson is back to playing at the level he's known for, with six pass breakups over his last two outings. The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro said he hopes to prove that he can still be a shutdown cornerback.

"All I heard the last two years is that 'He's washed up, he's done,'" Peterson said. "I know we've still got a second half of the season to go, but I'm just getting started. Like, I'm in my zone right now. I'm in a groove. I've been here before, I know how to keep it."

He continued, "And I want to continue being challenged and continue helping this team win ballgames. Because I promise you this, if I get challenged, I will show up on the stat sheet. And that's why I've been missing out on Pro Bowls and All-Pros. I'm here. Twelve years in, and I'm still standing strong."

The Vikings (6-1) will be going for their sixth straight win when they travel to face the Washington Commanders (4-4) next Sunday.