Cordarelle Patterson will get another shot to continue his career after agreeing to a deal with the Falcons, NFL Network reported. The Bears moved on from Patterson after two season of him playing wide receiver, running back and special teams.
Patterson, 30, never quite found a role with the Bears’ offense and totaled just 550 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. He played 19% of the offensive snaps each of the last two seasons.
On special teams, however, he was outstanding. The Bears used Patterson as a gunner in coverage and a kick returner, and he was selected all-pro both seasons. He returned kickoffs for touchdowns of 102 and 104 yards and averaged 29.2 yards per attempt.
Patterson was frustrated after getting 17 targets and 17 rushes at wide receiver his first season, then the Bears moved him to running back for 2020. He ran 64 times for 232 yards to finish at just 3.6 per carry.
The Bears made clear from the onset of free agency that they didn’t intend to re-sign Patterson after his two-year, $10 million deal ran out. He tweeted March 18 that the Bears hadn’t been in touch since the end of the season.
