Coming out of Washington, everyone knew Marcus Peters was super talented, but he came with tons of baggage.
During his last collegiate season, Peters was kicked off the team for multiple incidents, which caused his draft stock to dip a bit. With that being said, Peters was still selected in the first round with the 18th overall pick.
For a franchise that prides itself on obtaining high character guys, it was shocking to see Kansas City take the risk, but to this point, it’s paid off.
Peters was right at the top of the league with eight interceptions and he led the league with 26 pass deflections. After such a strong rookie campaign, expectations for Peters are at an all-time high.
Not to mention, with Sean Smith bolting for rival Oakland, there’s added pressure for Peters going forward.
In his first game without Smith, Peters picked up right where he left off (no pun intended).
As Russell Wilson led Seattle to the red zone, his lone series of the night was stopped short of the end zone as Peters jumped Jermaine Kearse’s route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxUQ39QcEdA
Sure, it’s just preseason, but this could be a sign of things to come.
However, Peters was near the top of the league in touchdowns allowed because he was tested early and often.
To his defense, cornerback is without question the toughest position to master in today’s NFL, since you have teams airing it out like it’s no tomorrow.
The legendary Deion Sanders knows a thing or two about shutting down receivers, so he understands what challenges lie ahead for Peters in year two.
“When you do something and people don’t expect it, they say you’re nice,” Sanders stated. “But see, now you expect something, OK? Now, you expect something, and that’s a whole different case.”
The 8-time Pro Bowler continued.
“Are you ready for that?” Sanders said. “Because that’s every play — playing against the best. And when you play against the best, that ball is coming at least six to eight times a game, and (that receiver) is good for a reason.”
Sanders makes great points, because how often do we see guys have stellar rookie seasons, but as expectations rise, they’re unable to reach that level of play.
It’s yet to be seen whether or not Peters will head upward or downward, but for now, he’s saying all of the right things.
“(I’m going to do) the same thing that got me there, which is continue to work hard and believe in the preparation … I’m trying to provide for my family for multiple generations and for me to do that, I’ve got to sacrifice the time right now.”
At the end of the day, Chiefs fans are hoping Peters creates the first island in Kansas City history.