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Peterson has earned praise for hiring winning coaches and re-establishing proud traditions for professional football franchises.

Peterson led the Chiefs for 20 seasons, one of the longest and most successful tenures for a team president, general manager and CEO in modern NFL history.

Upon his arrival to Kansas City, he made one of the most important hires in the team’s history when naming Marty Schottenheimer head coach. Schottenheimer led the team to its most successful period since Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram paced Kansas City’s sidelines. Prior to Peterson’s arrival, the Chiefs had made only one playoff appearance in the previous 18 years. The Chiefs were the NFL’s winningest team in the 1990s, won four AFC West championships, and played in the team’s only AFC Championship Game in January 1994. Over Peterson’s 20 years, the Chiefs’ record was 176-141-1 and qualified for the NFL playoffs nine times.

Under Peterson’s leadership, three Kansas City assistant coaches ultimately went on to lead teams to Super Bowl championships as head coaches: Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh Steelers; Super Bowl XL), Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts; Super Bowl XLI) and Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers; Super Bowl XLV). Peterson also hired Vermeil as Kansas City’s head coach in 2001, two years after he had led the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.

Four current NFL team general managers also built their portfolios as members of the Chiefs’ front office under Peterson: Tom Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons), Mark Dominik (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jeff Ireland (Miami Dolphins) and John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks). In addition, National Football Scouting President Jeff Foster, a Chiefs scout under Peterson, now directs the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis for all 32 NFL clubs.

Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs, is widely recognized as offering one of the most exciting atmospheres to enjoy NFL football and sporting events in general. However, prior to Peterson leading the Chiefs, the stadium’s capacity of 79,451 often had as many empty seats as tickets sold. As Peterson changed the team’s fortunes both on and off the field, attendance at Arrowhead improved dramatically. The Chiefs ultimately led the NFL in attendance for six consecutive seasons (1994–99) and the AFC every year from 1992-2008.

Under Peterson’s watch, the Chiefs sold out 149 consecutive home games—including six playoff games—in one of the NFL’s largest venues, despite Kansas City being the league’s sixth-smallest television market. The Chiefs averaged more than 75,500 paid fans per home game during Peterson’s 20-season tenure.

Peterson’s impressive track record as a talent evaluator began during his days with the Philadelphia Eagles (1976–82) assisting head coach Dick Vermeil lead the Eagles to four consecutive playoff seasons and Super Bowl XV. He was subsequently selected to build the United States Football League’s Philadelphia Stars in July 1982. As the franchise’s president and general manager, he and head coach Jim Mora Sr. proceeded to assemble the most successful team in the league’s three-year existence, capturing USFL titles in 1984 and 1985. The Stars’ 48-13-1 overall record during regular and postseason play, amassing a 7-1 postseason record, was the best of any USFL club. His efforts were rewarded in 1983 and 1984, when he was named The Sporting News’ USFL Executive of the Year.