Story of how Vikings landed Patrick Peterson is pretty surprising
By Adam Patrick
Patrick Peterson was apparently not someone the Minnesota Vikings had originally planned to pursue in free agency this year.
When it was revealed last week that the Minnesota Vikings had reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson, a burst of excitement was sent through the majority of the team’s fan base.
Peterson is a caliber of player that typically doesn’t make it to free agency. So it was incredibly significant when the veteran corner chose to sign with the Vikings.
In fact, Peterson apparently had his eye on playing for Minnesota in 2021 before the team even made contact with him or his representation.
Patrick Peterson pursued the Minnesota Vikings
Once free agency begins each offseason, typically it’s the teams that are reaching out to the available players to see if they have any interest in working out a possible contact. With Peterson and the Vikings, this wasn’t how things went down.
On Monday, Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman revealed that it was the cornerback’s agent who first initiated the talks between his client and the team.
When speaking during his introductory presser on Monday, Peterson mentioned how he was interested in playing for the Vikings because of head coach Mike Zimmer and the culture he has built for the team during his tenure with the organization.
Minnesota’s new corner also mentioned how he’s excited to work with Zimmer since the head coach has a reputation for helping defensive backs extend their NFL careers. At 30-years-old, Peterson said he has no plans of retiring anytime soon.
Even if his tenure with the Vikings only lasts for a season, he should still be able to leave a lasting impact on some of the team’s young corners like Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney.
As Spielman was speaking to the media before introducing Peterson on Monday, it was obvious that he was very happy the corner’s agent decided to give him a call last week.