Peterson will continue to fight for Cards after trade request, cousin says

Patrick Peterson won’t shut down on his Arizona Cardinals teammates between now and the trade deadline. He will continue to work if that deadline passes without a change in scenary.

That’s from Peterson’s cousin, former NFL defensive back Bryant McFadden, who told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station Tuesday that the star cornerback simply wants to join a winning team.

Peterson’s trade request that was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday signaled more rumblings of uncertainty for the Cardinals through their 1-6 start in the Steve Wilks era.

McFadden, a current analyst for CBS Sports, said he and Peterson have discussed the cornerback’s desire to find a new home over “the last few weeks” and that the Cardinals captain doesn’t put blame on Wilks. He just believes that Arizona’s timeline to compete isn’t in the foreseeable future.

So as Arizona holds steady that it won’t deal its All-Pro, does it risk causing strife in the locker room? And how will Peterson continue on playing for the Cardinals?

“Speaking about the individual, which is Pat Peterson, his day-to-day process will not change,” McFadden said. “I don’t think this will change anything as far as his process. He still wants to win. If the trade is not granted, if the request is not made, he will continue to compete at a high level. He will continue to motivate the other teammates that are there. At the end of the day, he’s a competitor, he loves to compete.”

Wilks said Monday he’d yet to sit down and discuss any potential unhappiness coming from Peterson. The head coach said that was in the plans.

McFadden hasn’t discussed with Peterson whether there is any way the Cardinals could convince him to rescind his trade request, but he wouldn’t rule it out. However, Arizona’s front office would have to convince Peterson that a winning formula — and a good one — is already in place.

“Me personally, if I’m a part of the organization, as far as ownership and GM and the staff, (they must tell Peterson) this is what we’re trying to do going forward, as far as free agent acquisitions, as far as draft picks,” McFadden said. “Let’s keep it real. Pat got drafted in 2011, right? Since the 2011 draft, the first-rounders have not really panned out for the Cardinals. That has put them in a position to where they currently are in terms of missing on draft picks.”

For the next week before the NFL trade deadline next Tuesday, Peterson won’t be a distraction, McFadden said. He practiced Tuesday before news broke of his trade request, and Wilks said he hasn’t noticed any dip in effort or leadership from the cornerback.

McFadden even thinks Peterson’s public discontent could provide a spark for the 1-6 squad.

“From the team standpoint, they have to understand the business side of things. This is not about a contract, this is not about a player wanting more money,” McFadden told Doug & Wolf. “This is about a player that wants to be a part of something that could be potentially special. And I think most importantly too, if you’re part of that locker room right now: ‘What can I do to potentially make our best player feel like we’re going in the right direction?’ This could be something that could light a fuse through the entire locker room, because they all respect Pat.”

What are the chances Arizona decides to trade arguably its best player?

“Right now, I’ll say 50-50. At the end of the day, we all know the Arizona Cardinals. They hold all the cards and they would like to retain Pat as a player,” McFadden said. “But if there’s a deal that could potentially put you in a better situation going forward — and like I said, this is about the future — then you really have to entertain that.”

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