Did Bears Cordarrelle Patterson Just Hint He Wants to Return to Vikings?

Cordarrelle Patterson Bears Vikings

Getty Cordarrelle Patterson #84 of the Chicago Bears. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

After having four players selected to the All-Pro team in 2018, the Chicago Bears had just player named as an All-Pro this season: kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson.

Patterson signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Bears last offseason, and he’s now entering the final year of his deal. Patterson is technically listed as a wide receiver, and he has been used a bit in Matt Nagy’s offense. When he has gotten opportunities to make plays, he has absolutely done just that. Patterson has been such a dynamic play-maker for the Bears in limited action that many have been screaming for Nagy to use him more, perhaps by even trying the talented wideout at tight end.

One Bears writer, NBC Sports’ Bryan Perez, recently suggested that the Bears release Patterson next season in order to free up some salary cap space. Releasing Patterson could save the Bears $4.75 million next year, which is why Perez suggested cutting the dynamic player. Patterson replied to Perez’s article and Tweet in an unexpected manner.


Does Bears Cordarrelle Patterson Want to Play for the Minnesota Vikings Again?

Patterson didn’t reply to Perez on Twitter by using his words. Instead, he posted a pretty powerful image: himself in a Vikings with a somewhat incredulous-looking expression on his face.

Patterson was selected by the Vikings in the first-round of the 2013 NFL draft, where he was a first-team All-Pro his first and fourth seasons. He then spent a year with the Raiders and a year with the Patriots before coming to Chicago this season, where he earned the third All-Pro nod of his career.

Patterson’s reply seems telling for a few reasons. First, he could have chosen an image or video of himself in a Bears uniform after making a great play. Patterson had a kickoff return for a touchdown this season for the Bears, and he also was a key special teams contributor.

There were multiple highlights he could have shared in order to illustrate his play-making abilities. Instead, he chose to share an image of him wearing the jersey of the team that drafted him — a team that is currently in the playoffs, and a team that is one of the Bears’ biggest divisional rivals.

He also could have chosen not to respond. Instead, Patterson also decided to ‘like’ replies from Vikings fans asking him to “come home” to Minnesota. A few Vikings even made note of Patterson’s choice to click ‘like’ on the tweets of Vikings fans.

There were also several tweets of support from Bears fans, lauding his accomplishments and asking him to stay in Chicago. Patterson only clicked ‘like’ on one tweet from a Bears fan, however, whereas he ‘liked’ multiple tweets from Vikings fans begging him to return, including the following:

The one comment from a Bears fan Patterson did like noted how “underutilized” Patterson was while also saying he was “worth every penny.”

Perez’s article suggesting the Bears move on from Patterson did note that if Patterson was a bigger part of Nagy’s offense, moving on from him would not make as much sense. Regardless of what happens, it seems as though Patterson wouldn’t mind an expanded role in Chicago. It also seems like he wouldn’t mind returning to Minnesota.

UPDATE: Patterson added a vague reply on the same Twitter thread, telling fans to “chill.”

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