Tuesday 23 October 2018 12:25, UK
Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is said to "desperately" want out of Arizona and has requested a trade before the October 30 deadline, according to an ESPN report.
The report states Peterson feels his situation with the 1-6 Cardinals is deteriorating and has repeatedly asked to be traded. But, first-year head coach in Arizona, Steve Wilks, has denied the team is willing to part with Peterson.
"We're not trading Patrick," Wilks said, adding that he hadn't heard any request from Peterson. "That's out of the question."
Former NFL cornerback Bryant McFadden, who is Peterson's cousin and played for the Cardinals in 2009, reported the LSU product's preferred destination is the New Orleans Saints. McFadden added that the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles have also shown an interest in Peterson.
Known for shadowing opponents' No 1 wideouts, Peterson has taken a different role this season in Wilks' zone-heavy scheme. He has two interceptions and three passes defensed through seven games, along with a sack and a fumble recovery.
Peterson, 28, is one of only four players - along with Joe Thomas, Patrick Willis and A.J. Green - since 1990 to earn Pro Bowl selections in each of his first seven NFL seasons. His selection as a rookie, in 2011, came as a returner, but each of the last six have come at cornerback. He also has three first-team All-Pro nods (one as a returner, two as a cornerback), most recently in 2015.
Peterson is in the third year of a five-year, $70m contract and is due about $6.5m over the remainder of the season. The Cardinals would save $11m against the cap this year by trading Peterson, while incurring a dead-money hit of $1.3m in 2019.
The most recent prominent cornerback to be traded, two-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro Marcus Peters, garnered second- and fourth-round picks this offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, who also got a sixth-round pick in the deal.
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