Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson was upset the team could not rework his contract knowing he was facing a performance-enhancing drug suspension, multiple sources told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.
Peterson was not asking to be traded. He knew the suspension was coming and wanted to rework his contract and avoid taking losses, Gambadoro added. He believed he could have saved $2 million or more.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that the eight-time Pro Bowler will miss the first six games of the 2019 season due to a PED suspension. Peterson has already decided to drop an appeal, and he will lose $3,882,352 in wages, Schefter added.
Regarding Peterson’s discontent, Gambadoro does not believe that the team could have succeeded in changing Peterson’s contract or that the NFL would approve such a move.
Peterson would be able to return in Week 7 for an Oct. 20 away game at the New York Giants.
With the Cardinals set to open voluntary organized team activities on Monday, it is unclear whether Peterson will rejoin his team.
Peterson missed voluntary mini-camp in late-April. It was then that Gambadoro reported of the cornerback’s discontent.
“It’s voluntary. I communicated with Patrick and, you know, we know where he’s at, we know what’s going on. Kind of a conversation to keep between ourselves,” Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury said at the time.
“I don’t know if it’s disappointing. If he hadn’t communicated, and we didn’t know what was going on, I think that’d be a different matter.”
Before that camp opened, the star cornerback posted four times to his Instagram account and replaced his profile photo of him in a Cardinals uniform with another of Peterson wearing a suit.
Peterson is under contract for two more seasons. He’s making $11.25 million in cash this year and $12.6 million next. For 2019, he’s tied for the fifth-highest total cash salary among NFL cornerbacks, per Spotrac.
Last season, Peterson recorded 54 tackles with two interceptions and five passes defensed.