8 time Pro Bowl and 3 time All Pro CB Patrick Peterson has been suspended 6 games by the NFL for violating the league's performance enhancing drugs policy, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Peterson will be eligible to return for the Cardinals game against the NY Giants on October 20th and he will forfeit nearly $4 million dollars in salary for the 2019 season.
Peterson had raised eyebrows earlier in the offseason with his ominous social media postings about "snakes in the tall grass". The assumption was he had an internal issue with the Cardinals but now it can be safely assumed the issue all along was with someone who may have contributed to the positive test.
The Cardinals have a much improved CB group after adding Robert Alford as a free agent and drafting Washington CB Byron Murphy with the 33rd overall pick but Peterson's absence will still be a major blow for the Cardinals.
How does this affect Peterson's long term standing with the team and possible contract extension? Clearly, the team would be better off waiting until after the 2019 season to see how Peterson plays after returning from suspension.
Failed PED tests in the NFL do not carry the same stigma as MLB but its fair to wonder if any of Peterson's performance from the last few years has been aided by an illegal substance or was this an innocent mistake?
Time will tell but for now Patrick Peterson will be on the sideline for 6 games.