One of the NFL’s most decorated cornerbacks is looking for a new home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers cut eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson on Friday after one season with the team.

Peterson was the No. 5 overall pick in 2011 by the Arizona Cardinals, playing 10 seasons with the team. Peterson also spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who were coached by Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in his first year with the team.

Could that mean Zimmer and Peterson will re-unite in Dallas?

The Cowboys are certainly in need of some cornerback help with Stephon Gilmore, C.J. Goodwin and Jourdan Lewis facing free agency this spring. If they don’t address the position in free agency, it will certainly be a target during the draft.

While Peterson isn’t the same player that made the Pro Bowl with the Cardinals, he can provide some depth behind DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs. He recorded 42 tackles last season for the Steelers, his lowest total since 2017.

There are other cornerbacks on the open market that the Cowboys could sign, but adding a veteran like Peterson could give Dallas some familiarity with Zimmer’s system and someone the younger players can lean on.

Cowboys Quickly Linked to Recently Cut 8-Time Pro Bowler

The Steelers cut cornerback Patrick Peterson this past week, adding another defensive back to the increasing list of notable players to be cut ahead of the 2024 NFL season, which begins next week. Peterson had a successful season, playing 97% of Pittsburgh’s snaps. However, eight-time Pro Bowler Peterson, who turns 34 in July, has undoubtedly become slower as he approaches his 30s.

After it was announced that veteran Stephon Gilmore’s one-year stint at The Star was likely temporary, the Cowboys were linked to Peterson as a cheap veteran who could provide some depth at cornerback. The fact that Peterson spent a season in Minnesota playing for head coach Mike Zimmer—who is currently the defensive coordinator for the team.

Peterson spent his greatest years in Arizona, when in 2011 he was selected with the fifth overall pick. In his first eight seasons with the Cardinals, he was selected for eight Pro Bowls and was named to three All-Pro teams.

Patrick Peterson Could Give Cornerback Depth
The Cowboys will have to flex their restricted free-agent budget at some positions on the roster, and cornerback will probably be one of them given the rise of Daron Bland in the previous season and the approaching return of Trevon Diggs. Peterson had signed a $14 million, two-year contract with Pittsburgh last season, but Pittsburgh saved more than $6 million by dismissing him.

The Cowboys’ connection to Peterson was revealed on Saturday morning at the Cowboys Country website on SI.com.