Patrick Peterson: Cardinals Future Is 'Out of My Control' Ahead of Free Agency

Star cornerback Patrick Peterson knows he may not control whether he returns to the Arizona Cardinals.

"I know that I will be playing football for someone, if it's the Cardinals or someone else," Peterson told USA Today's Mike Jones. "I'm a go-with-the-flow-type guy. That's out of my control. I've done everything I can do to show my worth, and I can still play this game. I know I will be playing football for somebody, so that's my approach."

In February, Peterson denied a rumor he and the Cardinals had agreed to go their separate ways.

"There is no real update," he said on his All Things Covered podcast after co-host Bryant McFadden raised the topic (via Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site). "It is just what you said it was: A dirty rumor. ... Me and the team haven't talked about contracts, we haven't talked about parting ways. That's just what it is, a dirty rumor. I don't know where [the reporter] got his insight from, but that was a dirty rumor."

Following the arrival of defensive lineman J.J. Watt, Spotrac projects Arizona to have $17.5 million in salary-cap space. Re-signing Peterson would likely require the Cardinals to sacrifice a lot of that flexibility, which they may need to address concerns beyond the cornerback position.

The 30-year-old might command a high price tag. He's an eight-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 2010s.

Even if his performance has dropped off, a general manager might hope the 6'1", 203-pound defensive back can turn things around in a different defense. Some analysts think he's the best cornerback slated to hit free agency.

Unless Peterson gives the Cardinals a hometown discount, it's difficult to envision how they can keep him in Arizona.