NFL great Patrick Peterson was not a fan of politics in sports during his illustrious 13-year career.Peterson, 35, played from 2011-2023, and said he felt the political discourse that took place in locker rooms was not only unnecessary but also uninformed."I'm not letting politics dwindle its way into how I'm trying to get my team prepared to beat the Cincinnati Bengals or the Pittsburgh Steelers or whoever it may be.I just felt like it was unnecessary," Peterson told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMArizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson laughs after a flag was thrown on him during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
(Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)"And again, in my opinion, it's not a place for guys who play football or sports in general.Eighty percent of (players in the NFL) have no idea what's going on in politics.
For me, I always run my own lane and stay in my own game."The eight-time Pro Bowler said that political discussions with teammates became more frequent as his career went on.Peterson even said that politics eventually became part of team meetings."(Politics) crept into a lot of team meetings," Peterson said.
"Which I felt like, in my opinion, was unnecessary.Like, yes, we have a voice.
Yes, we have an obligation.But if you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing on the field, which is your livelihood and what's keeping lights on in your household, that's kind of like outside noise to me, especially in the field of work that we're in.""Like that has nothing to do with us.
Yes, we can do that on our own time.We're focusing on at this given time is winning ball games."The Arizona Cardinals selected Peterson with the No.
5 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of LSU, and he spent the first 10 seasons of his career in the desert.The three-time All-Pro then spent two seasons with the Minnesota Viki...