After the first two weeks of the 2018 season, it looked like the Los Angeles Rams had formed the NFL’s new “No Fly Zone” with Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib roaming the secondary. Peters, in particular, looked great, recording a pick-six in his first game with the Rams.

Then Talib got hurt and missed eight games, sending Peters into a tailspin. He was asked to be the No. 1 guy, at times shadowing receivers like Michael Thomas and Davante Adams, to no avail. At one point, Peters was one of the five worst cornerbacks in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking 106th out of 111 following the Seahawks game in Week 5.

Peters did suffer a groin injury in Week 3 and while he never missed a game, there’s a good chance it did affect his play on the field. The combination of that injury, the absence of Talib and Peters being asked to play more man coverage against No. 1 receivers was a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately, he did turn things around once Talib returned. From Week 1-9, Peters’ PFF grade was 49.7. From Week 10-17 – most of which was played with Talib healthy – his grade was 69.6. It was the second-best turnaround of any cornerback and highlighted by PFF’s most-improved players from the first half to the second.

Marcus Peters had a rough start to his first season with theLos Angeles Rams. Through the first nine weeks of the season, he allowed the second-most receiving yards (591), the second-most touchdown receptions (six), the fifth-highest passer rating on throws into his overage (145.2) and earned the fourth-worst coverage grade (39.9) among cornerbacks in that span. However, the last seven weeks were another story, as he earned the eighth-highest coverage grade among cornerbacks (80.1) in Weeks 10-17. He also allowed the seventh-lowest passer rating on throws into his primary coverage (52.9) in said span.

Peters played extremely well in the postseason, too, finishing the year on a high note. The question now is whether that strong finish will be enough to keep him in Los Angeles. His fifth-year option has already been picked up for 2019, but the Rams have until March 13 to change their mind and let him become a free agent.

With a cap hit of $9.1 million, it’s reasonable to expect they’ll at least consider moving on from him and saving that money. However, they shouldn’t. Peters may have had a shaky first season in L.A., but unless Wade Phillips isn’t comfortable playing zone as much as he did to fit the corner’s skill set, No. 22 should be back.

He showed enough promise in the second half of the season and into the playoffs to stick around for another year. At a reasonable price, the Rams should at least give Peters the chance to prove he’s deserving of a long-term deal by stepping up and performing at a higher level next season.

At the very least, they should retain that fifth-year option and attempt to trade him if they’re adamant about moving on. That doesn’t mean they should trade him, but pulling the fifth-year option would be a mistake.

The Rams didn’t allow a single 300-yard passer in the final eight games of the season after Talib returned in Week 13, and that’s no coincidence. Peters and Talib played well down the stretch and with a combined cap hit of about $17 million, there’s little reason to break up this tandem after one season.