Former Steelers CB Patrick Peterson Makes Final Decision on 2025 Season

Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson didn’t play in the NFL during the 2024 season. The cornerback won’t play in 2025 either.

Peterson announced his retirement from the league in a return to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. Peterson played 10 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Cardinals.

“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,” said Peterson, via NFL.com’s Nick Shook.

Peterson also said that he plans to continue seeking out a career as an NFL personality.

The cornerback played his first two seasons outside of Arizona with the Minnesota Vikings from 2021-22. Peterson then played his final season with the Steelers.

In 2023, Peterson posted 42 combined tackles, 11 pass defenses and two interceptions in 17 games with Pittsburgh. He also had four combined tackles in one playoff game in Pittsburgh.

CB Patrick Peterson Announces NFL Retirement

Peterson was last on an NFL roster more than a year ago. The Steelers released the veteran cornerback on March 8 after he completed just one season of his two-year deal.

Before his release, there was some talk of Peterson moving to safety in his second season with the team. But the Steelers valued the additional salary cap space with his release over switching the veteran to a new position.

The Steelers originally signed Peterson to a two-year, $14 million contract early in 2023 NFL free agency.

Peterson wasn’t the same player in Pittsburgh as he was in Arizona. In his first five seasons from 2011-15, Peterson made first-team All-Pro three times. Peterson also made the Pro Bowl eight consecutive times to begin his career.

For the early NFL dominance, Peterson made the 2010s All-NFL decade team.

In 10 seasons with the Cardinals, the cornerback posted 28 interceptions and 91 pass defenses. During that time, Peterson was arguably the top cornerback in the NFL.

Patrick Peterson Says Goodbye to the Cardinals

The Steelers will be able to lay claim to the cornerback’s final NFL season. But obviously, Peterson will be remembered for his Cardinals tenure.

For that reason, he fittingly returned to Arizona for his NFL farewell.

“It was a no-brainer,” Peterson said of announcing his retirement in Arizona, via Shook. “You know, there was a lot of things said and, you know, 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. (Michael) 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. So, like I said, it was a no-brainer for me to come back here and retire a Cardinal where it all started.”

The Cardinals drafted Peterson at No. 5 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Only wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald earned more Pro Bowl nominations with the Cardinals than Peterson. Since 1971, Peterson is the leader in first-team All-Pro nominations in franchise history.