TEMPE, Ariz. – All Patrick Peterson could do was smile.

Yes, the Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl cornerback had seen the comments made by Deion Sanders, Peterson’s friend and the player he looked up to while growing up. Peterson wears No. 21 because of Sanders, who sported that jersey number during a 14-year hall of fame career.

“I did catch it. But, ‘D’, he was asked a question, he answered it,” Peterson said Thursday.

Coming on the heels of the Cardinals loss in Philadelphia, in which cameras caught a very animated Peterson yelling on the sidelines in the third quarter—he needed to be calmed down by cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross—Sanders went on NFL Network this week and called for the Cardinals to trade Peterson.

“Let me tell you something. Patrick Peterson is a shutdown corner and he’s a prolific punt returner. But he’s getting frustrated, solid frustration, playing with the Arizona Cardinals,” Sanders said. “I wish they would let him go—if we had our dreams and wishes—to let him go to a playoff contender, possibly a Super Bowl contender in the Green Bay Packers. That would be phenomenal. It would be good for our game. It would be good for both parties because I’m sure Arizona could get a whole lot for a Patrick Peterson.”

Peterson, a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, is in his seventh season with the Cardinals and is signed through the 2020 season after inking a five-year, $70 million contract extension in 2014.

Considered one of the few shutdown corners in the league, Peterson, 27, is arguably the Cardinals best player, on either side of the ball.

“I don’t know, man. It sounds like he’s has got something personal tied to that. I don’t know what’s going on with that,” safety Tyvon Branch said, when told of Sanders’ comments. “Pat loves being here and he’s a great teammate. He goes out there and he plays with a lot of passion, he plays with a lot of heart. You can see from his style of play he gets after their best receiver every week, so I don’t know where that came from.”

Peterson seemed surprised as well.

“I’m a Cardinal. I love it here,” he said. “If a trade or something was to happen, that’s something that’s out of my control. All I can do is continue doing what I do on Sundays.”

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