Patrick Peterson denies beef with Kyler Murray but adds further criticism of QB

Just about 24 hours after Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson said former teammate Kyler Murray “don’t care about nobody but Kyler Murray,” the former Cardinal says he and the quarterback have no issues with each other.

“I don’t have any beef with Kyler Murray,” Peterson told reporters Thursday.

However, Peterson did seem to double down on his comments to a degree. The cornerback said his comments come from body language observations anyone could see.

“What I meant by my comment was when you’re a franchise quarterback you have to carry yourself a certain way. So if you’re having bad body language — pouting, moping on the sideline — what type of energy do you think feeds off to your teammates? That’s what I meant about Kyler,” said Peterson. 

“He cares about himself because he’s not putting the team first. When you make a bad throw, and you come off to the sideline, you’re dropping your shoulders, how do you think the defense feels? If our starting quarterback don’t have any energy, no fire, that we can win this game, how can we? That’s what I meant about Kyler caring about Kyler. I didn’t mean any disrespect, in any fashion or form. And I might not be his mentor, but these are the things, tips, that can help him be a better football player in the long run.”

Murray responded to Peterson’s earlier comments when he tweeted that his former teammate was “on some weird s—.”

“if you really felt like this as a ‘big bro’ or ‘mentor’ you supposed to call me and tell me, not drag me so your podcast can grow…” the Cardinals quarterback tweeted Wednesday.

KYLER MURRAY FIRES BACK AT PATRICK PETERSON’S CRITICISM: ‘YOU ON SOME WEIRD S—‘

Peterson said he reached out to Murray, and although he hadn’t heard back, he is looking forward to reuniting with him and discussing the recent war of words.

“I do look forward to talking to him because I see a ton of talent in him,” Peterson said. 

During Wednesday’s episode of the “All Things Covered” podcast, former NFL cornerback Bryant McFadden brought up the Cardinals’ recent struggles and head coaching concerns, asking Peterson if he felt coach Kliff Kingsbury would be a “scapegoat.”

“Ain’t no maybe. He will be,” Peterson said of his former team on the podcast. “And the crazy thing about it, the guy who hired him will still have a job.”

The Cardinals fell to 4-8 after their 25-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday. After the game, Murray said the Cardinals were “kind of f—ed” schematically, comments that Peterson continued to criticize Thursday.

“And those mannerisms are alarming,” he said Thursday. “I’m just saying something that most people may be afraid to tell him. It’s no secret. Everybody sees it. You see it every time they’re on television. You see Kyler Murray pouting. Cursing out the head coach, calling out the offensive scheme. I didn’t say that. He did.”

Peterson and Murray were teammates for two seasons. They went 5-10-1 in their first year together, Murray’s rookie season, and 8-8 in 2020.