News broke this week that Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is being suspended for the first six games of the season for a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. This doesn’t change the fact Peterson is still among the NFL’s elite cornerbacks.
But to respond to the litany of questions about the Pittsburgh Steelers making a trade for Peterson now, the answer has to be no. And understand this is coming from a point of view where I have advocated for the Steelers to trade for Peterson when it was first rumored he’d be on the market.
However, this suspension changes things a great deal. Pittsburgh is working hard to create a team devoid of drama. Adding Peterson might give Pittsburgh a talented player, but the front office has made it clear that talent doesn’t trump character at this point.
Additionally, while the salary paid to Peterson might be less because of the suspension, his cap hit would still be around $11 million. The Steelers have done plenty to upgrade the cornerback spot with Steven Nelson and Justin Layne. Someone else can take the risk on Peterson.
