Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson announced on Tuesday that he has signed a five-year, $70 million extension with $48 million guaranteed. This deal automatically matched the $14 million annual salary that Richard Sherman received from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason.
Happy to announce my 5 year extension with @AZCardinals! $70M and $48M Guaranteed!! #AZCardinals #P2Nation #YearOfTheCardinal
— Patrick Peterson /P2 (@P2) July 30, 2014
Entering his fourth NFL season, Peterson is widely considered one of the best overall cornerbacks in the league. He has recorded 12 interceptions and 43 passes defended while earning Pro Bowl trips in each of his first three seasons.
With an average annual salary of $14 million, Peterson has matched Richard Sherman as the highest-paid cornerback in the league. This cannot be a coincidence, as the two have gone tit for tat about who is the best cornerback in the NFL during the offseason.
The good news here is that Peterson and Sherman will be able to prove their worth against one another twice a year. I just hope that Peterson decides to continue lining up at wide receiver at times, especially against Sherman. Imagine the trash talking there.
In any event, this is a deal that Arizona and Peterson have been working on for some time now. It takes him off the free agent market in the not-so-distant future and locks up one of the premier defensive backs in the league.
Photo: USA Today