Notorious anthem protester Marcus Peters sends direct message to his critics
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters, who made headlines last year for sitting during the pregame playing of the national anthem, is undeniably a player with some baggage.
Why else would the Kansas City Chiefs send the 25-year-old Peters — a two-time Pro Bowler and 2016 First-Team All-Pro — to the Rams in return for just a fourth-round and a second-round draft pick?
When he played for the University of Washington, he was eventually kicked off the team after arguing frequently with coaches and teammates. And his issues didn’t disappear when he made it to the NFL.
In fact, last season, Peters was flagged three times for unsportsmanlike conduct, according to The Orange County Register. One time, he was so angry that he picked up a penalty flag, threw it into the stands and simply walked off the field.
Later in the season, Peters was suspended by the Chiefs for a game following rumors that he was involved in a verbal altercation with a coach.
The point is, Peters is one of the most gifted defensive players in all of football, but he still has some issues to work through.
On Wednesday, Peters seemed to admit as much, saying that he’s happy to learn from what he’s done wrong so he can be better in the future.
“I can say on-the-field issues, that comes with being a competitor,” he said. “When you want to win so badly. You want to see the team do so good. Sometimes teammates and coaches and players, you’re going to have those arguments. But it’s all (for) the good of the team. I want to win so much that, yeah, sometimes I’m gonna get p—– off.”
“You learn from your mistakes and don’t blame nobody for your mistakes,” Peters added. “You sit there and take it on your own.”
At the same time, the cornerback doesn’t think he’s been treated fairly by media outlets who confuse his on-field passion with his off-field personality. And he has a message for the critics who get on his case.
“I don’t like when mother f—ers talk about me and they say they got off-the-field issues because, I mean, I could be sitting here and I could be getting DUIs and I could be doing all the rest of the stuff, I could be arrested and I could have a mug shot, and I don’t got that burden on me,” he said, via Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times.
During a media session on Wednesday, Peters fired back when a reporter questioned him about his off-field issues.
“No disrespect, but what (did I do) off the field?” Peters asked.
Later in the same exchange, he detailed how it’s all a matter of “perception.”
“Perception,” he told the reporter. “Y’all know the perception and then it becomes reality for you guys until you finally get to know us. I asked the question, and then it’s like, ‘D—, he really hasn’t gotten in any trouble off the field.”
The Rams seem to agree with Peters, at least in part.
“The vetting that we did, the people that were close that we really trust and value their opinion, speak very highly of the person,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Then when you spend time with him, you can tell this is a good guy.”
“He’s fully aware he’s been emotional on the field at times,” McVay added. “His ability to recognize that will get him to continue to improve that poise and how he handles those emotional situations that sometimes do come up.”
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