Cardinals CB Peterson: Trade request ‘in the past,’ came of frustration
Oct 24, 2018, 2:41 PM | Updated: Oct 25, 2018, 12:38 am
Three-time All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson has issued a statement vowing to continue to give his all to his team for "years to come," adding "I am an Arizona Cardinal." Peterson's statement, released through Twitter, is his first comment since an ESPN report said he had asked the Cardinals to trade him by the Oct. 30 deadline. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
TEMPE, Ariz — Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson wants to move on from a trade request that came out of frustration after speaking to Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill and coach Steve Wilks.
His focus is on the now, Oct. 24, and a Sunday game against the San Francisco 49ers, Peterson said speaking Wednesday, his first meeting with reporters since news broke two days earlier that he’d asked for a trade out of Arizona.
“It’s a new day and it’s behind me,” Peterson said. “Now I’m just moving forward, doing whatever I need to do to galvanize my teammates, circle the wagons so we can move forward.”
Peterson wouldn’t go into detail about his conversations with Bidwill, Wilks or his teammates, but Wilks said his conversation with Peterson went well. So did Peterson’s talk with the owner, who the cornerback said has done everything in his power to build a winning team.
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He did not reveal any details regarding assurances made by Bidwill. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that their meeting included talk of how the Cardinals would improve, Peterson’s role as a leader and included assurances about the direction of the team from Bidwill.
“I talk to Mr. Bidwill every day, almost each and every day of the week,” Peterson said. “We’re in a good place. We’ll move forward from what happened the other day. I certainly think we have a clear understanding. I have two years left on my contract. I’m here.”
Peterson wouldn’t say whether the frustration that led to the trade request hitting the news-cycle would linger. He did admit a 1-6 start to the year was the main reason for his unhappiness, though did not address his concerns about the team’s direction.
“It came at a bad time and I was just frustrated,” Peterson said. “You see the record.”
Peterson also didn’t answer whether he would feel the same way about remaining committed to the Cardinals after the season.
“Like I said, you saw the statement earlier. I’m completely focused on this week,” he said. “I can’t worry about the future and I can’t talk about the past. Right now, I’m completely worried about what it is. I’m focused on October 24th right now.”
And so now the Cardinals move forward for the time being.
Wilks on Monday said the team would not trade Peterson before meeting with the disgruntled cornerback. He called the situation status quo and remained focused on the task at hand — winning the team’s second game of the year.
“We’re all frustrated right now based on the situation we’re in, 1 and 6,” Wilks said Wednesday. “My thoughts and opinions haven’t changed since the things I talked about Monday.
“We’re going to put this behind us, we’re going to move forward.”
Veteran safety Antoine Bethea, who sits two lockers down from Peterson in the team facility, said he’d spoken with his teammate as well.
Bethea said the situation wouldn’t sour Peterson’s relationships with his teammates or cause a distraction.
“He’s committed. Could be some frustration there, understandably,” Bethea said. “It’s not going to have an effect on the locker room. Pat’s one of the guys. He’s never been a cancer, he’s not that type of person, he’s not that type of player.”
