The San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Arizona Cardinals this weekend, and there is some drama in the desert. Rumors emerged this month that the Cardinals might deal Patrick Peterson, and on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Peterson has asked to be traded.
Cardinals’ All Pro CB Patrick Peterson has asked Arizona to deal him by the Oct. 30 trade deadline, per league sources. Peterson feels as if the situation is deteriorating and continues to reaffirm to others that he “desperately” wants out, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2018
The NFL trade deadline is a week from Tuesday, which means two days after the 49ers and Cardinals square off in Glendale. If the Cardinals do deal Peterson, one has to wonder if they do it before Sunday to avoid an injury taking a deal off the table, or if they just wait and play this out into next week.
I doubt we actually see Peterson dealt, but last year proved teams might decide to start getting a little crazy as the trade deadline approaches. While the MLB and NBA trade deadlines are regularly busy, the NFL trade deadline has generally been a slow one. Trades in generally happen primarily with draft picks in April, although last year, Jimmy Garoppolo was one of several notable players dealt before the deadline.
And just to clear it up, no I don’t think the 49ers will be doing a deal with the Cardinals for Peterson. They might call, but I doubt Arizona would want to deal him within the division. Peterson is signed through 2020, and is still a strong coverage option. He would be an immediate upgrade for most teams, so we’ll see what the next eight days brings.