PETERSON SUSPENDED
Cornerback Peterson suspended 1st 6 games of season
All the hype and positivity the Cardinals gained coming out of the NFL draft and the national curiosity about how first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s season might play out took a major thumping on Thursday with news that eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson will be suspended for the first six games of the year for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to break the news, initially reporting that Peterson would be suspended for the first eight games of the 2019 season, which he then clarified would only be six games, according to league sources. Schefter also reported that Peterson had dropped his apparent appeal of the suspension.
The NFL later made its official announcement of Peterson’s suspension.
“Patrick recognizes how disappointing this is for everyone in the organization as well as our fans,” the Cardinals said in a statement. “As we all do, he understands that regardless of intent he is ultimately responsible for everything he puts in his body. Our coaching staff and our players are now aware that we will have to play the first six games without Patrick and they understand they have to rise to the challenge that it presents.”
This is Peterson’s first suspension, and the six-game ban for a player’s first violation stems from a positive test plus an attempt to manipulate or mask the result.
Peterson said he was “definitely, definitely sorry,” about Thursday’s bombshell.
Speaking to reporters at a red-carpet event in Scottsdale several hours after the report first surfaced , Peterson said he was embarrassed by the whole situation and is eager to put it behind him and move on from it.
“I think you guys understand my character and also understand my commitment on and off the field, and also to my teammates and to the Arizona Cardinals organization,” he said from a VIP Welcome Party at G Collection, an event to usher in his fourth-annual celebrity golf tournament on Friday to benefit his Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success.
The NFL did not specify what illegal substance Peterson is alleged to have used, but the suspension will cost Peterson, a three-time All-Pro, $4 million in lost salary and end his franchise-record streak of Pro Bowl appearances.
Players cannot go to the Pro Bowl after a season in which they served a PED suspension, under NFL rules. Had Peterson been eligible and been named to the NFC roster, he would have joined Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Jim Brown as the only players in league history to make the Pro Bowl nine times before turning 30.
Additionally, in accordance with NFL rules, Peterson during his suspension cannot:
❚ Visit the Cardinals’ facility.
❚ Attend or watch practice.
❚ Have contact with team personnel. ❚ Exchange game plan, playbooks, plays or video from an electronic device such as a computer or cell phone.
❚ Be involved in football-related activities or conversations with teammates away from the facility, including workouts.
❚ Be a spectator in the stands at home or away games.
❚ Attend any team conferences.
Peterson is allowed to participate in offseason and preseason practices and games, which means he can report to training camp in late July and also partake in the Cardinals’ first round of OTAs which begin on Monday at the team’s Tempe training facility.
Peterson would not say if he plans to report on Monday. or league news
“I have to be a father,” Peterson said. “My wife is a doctor. I’m the only one right now that can take her to school, so I have to take her to school each and every day and make sure she gets there securely, and make sure she’s picked up. But I’m still working out making sure I’m in shape.”
After the regular season begins, Peterson won’t be allowed to return to the team until Oct. 14 following the Cardinals’ Week 6 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Peterson was unavailable for comment and did not make any statements through social media on his Twitter or Instagram accounts. However, he is scheduled to hold a VIP Welcome Party Thursday night in Scottsdale ahead of his fourth annual celebrity golf tournament on Friday to benefit his Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success.
Peterson did not attend voluntary team workouts late last month because he reportedly was upset with something someone in the front office had said to him. When asked last Friday if he thought Peterson would attend the team’s upcoming OTA session, Kingsbury said: “I’m not sure about OTAs. Everything is voluntary.”
Peterson, 28, has started all 16 regularseason games each year he’s been in the league. He has 387 career tackles to go along with 23 intercepted passes.
With their best cornerback now unavailable until Week 7, when they play at the New York Giants on Oct. 20, Kingsbury, General Manager Steve Keim and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will use the remainder of offseason workouts and training camp to determine who the starters now will be at corner.
Before the Peterson news broke, veteran free-agent addition Robert Alford was set to be the starter on the other side of Peterson. Alford now will likely step into Peterson’s role of covering the opposing