Patrick Peterson’s first season with the Minnesota Vikings isn’t going as planned. After struggling to make a significant impact in the first six weeks, the Pro Bowl corner will now miss the following three on the injured reserve list.
The news was confirmed by the Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer, who told reporters on Monday that Peterson is dealing with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old was hurt late in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s thriller overtime win over the Carolina Panthers.
Zimmer also said that he believes Peterson isn’t dealing with a season-ending injury while adding that he trusts the rest of the team’s cornerback core to step up.
“Yeah, I feel fine,” Zimmer said via the Vikings’ official website. “Patrick has played really well. We’ll miss him, for sure. But Dantzler has done decent, and so has Breeland.”
Patrick Peterson joined Minnesota on a one-year, $10 million contract after spending the first decade of his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals. Peterson has been solid for the Vikings in coverage so far but lacks the big-time plays that were the staple of his career. Throughout the first six weeks of the campaign, he has 13 tackles and two pass deflections without any interceptions.
Second-year player Cameron Dantzler is expected to step in for Peterson as a starter moving forward. Dantzler has eight tackles and two pass deflections in four games he played in 2021.
