On a recent episode of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a holdout if he isn’t able to get the kind of contract extension he’s looking for in Arizona.
Peterson was a first-round pick in 2011, which makes him eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason. It also makes him part of the first group whose contracts feature a team option for the fifth year of their careers, an option that can push extension talks later than they would for a player of Peterson’s accomplishments.
Or Muhammad Wilkerson’s, for that matter. The Jets defensive end is in the same boat as Peterson and would like an extension, but he broke from the cornerback when he said that a holdout isn’t something under consideration this offseason.
“It will be taken care of, definitely,” Wilkerson said, via Metro New York. “But all that holdout and all that other talk that people were saying and everything -- I never said anything like that. I’m not going to hold out. It’s not something I want; it’s not something I’m thinking about. I’m going to show up like everybody else and do what I’m told.”
An extension is still a possibility this offseason, but the presence of a fifth year option at a reasonable price (it’s expected to be around $6 million for Wilkerson) means any longer deal would likely be on the team’s terms. A holdout is about all the leverage a player can muster at the moment, but it is a costly route to take without any guarantee of success.