Patrick Peterson becomes an option for Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers need a cornerback. The Arizona Cardinals have placed nearly everyone on the trading block. Leaving a door wide open.

Artie Burns is not making the cut in Pittsburgh. The third-year cornerback hasn’t met the standard of a starting NFL player in two seasons. With the emergence of Mike Hilton, the cornerback position is nearly complete.

The only thing left to fix is the corner opposite of Joe Haden. Coty Sensabaugh and Burns continue to alternate, with Cameron Sutton stepping in from time to time. But none of the three are starting outside corners, leaving a noticeable gap in the secondary.

The Arizona Cardinals have been anything but impressive this season. Outside of a few highlight reel plays from the defense, the offense has been quiet. So, before the trade deadline, they made it known that they’re open to trading a number of their players.

This includes Patrick Peterson.

Pittsburgh has the money to aquire Peterson. The final two years on his active contract will accumulate $11.25 and $12.55 million per season. This year, however, he’ll only take up $5,823,529 in cap space, according to Joel Corry of CBS. 

At 28-years-old, Peterson is just as valuable as any cornerback in the league. Pittsburgh would benefit greatly from the addition of another star defender, but the looming question remains – what would they need to give up?

Well, if Pittsburgh is thinking go big or go home, they could offer a second-round pick and a low-end pick. It wouldn’t ruin their draft plans for the opening round, and would also make their defense significantly better with a player who has a few productive years left under his belt.

It’s all theory, but one that could be an option in the upcoming week. The deadline is only a week away, but Pittsburgh has already been on the market with Le’Veon Bell. It may not take a lot for them to start searching for other options, as well.