Running back Cordarrelle Patterson of the Atlanta Falcons has his contract canceled today, making him a free agent.
Patterson would be back in Atlanta if special teams coordinator Marquice Williams had the final say in the matter.
“I got the chance to collaborate with a man who is the greatest kickoff returner in history,” Williams remarked. Many of our free agents have contracts that expire in a month. When it comes to that, those are the circumstances and those are the conversations that are above me. If we’re just talking about the Atlanta Falcons, I adore every player I’ve had the pleasure of coaching over the last three years here. But let me tell you something—during his three years here, CP performed an incredible job for us. Whether discussing his offensive or special teams contributions, he produced significant plays and contributed to our team’s victory.
Still, the Falcons front office makes the final decision, not Williams. When Patterson turns 33 next month, Atlanta has to determine whether or not to bring him back to the Falcons.
Although Patterson excels as a return specialist, it’s unclear exactly what his other duty entails. Although Raheem Morris saw him as a running back, this may not have been the case with Arthur Smith’s offense. Snaps for Patterson in the backfield will be limited because Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are already there in the running back room.
If Patterson could get more playing time outside of special teams from a different team in free agency, maybe that would be enough to convince him to leave Atlanta.