Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 27, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Say it ain’t so, Cordarrelle. After the Chicago Bears decided not to re-sign All-Pro kickoff returner/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason, the play-making veteran has been looking for a new team.
The Bears signed Patterson to a two-year, $10 million contract in 2019, and he became a fast fan favorite in Chicago. Whether he was having a game of catch with a select fan in the stands before every game (a routine that was curbed by COVID-19) or including fans in his fun, frequent and incessant recruiting of other players via Twitter, Bears fans loved Patterson’s personality, and he’ll be missed in more ways than one in Chicago — which is why it would be such a bitter pill for them to swallow if the 30-year-old wound up playing for the Green Bay Packers.
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Patterson ‘Likes’ Tweets Urging Him to Play for Green Bay
The Packers’ problems on special teams are well known and haven’t been fixed yet this offseason. While Patterson would likely be a far too expensive fix — he would absolutely be an excellent addition should Green Bay decide to pick him up.
The four-time All-Pro also earned second-team All-Pro honors as a defensive specialist on special teams in 2019, earning a reputation as one of the more underrated gunners in the NFL — and based on his recent Twitter activity, Patterson would now be down for a stint at Lambeau. Get a load of some of his ‘likes’ lately:
Sign him now GB🧀 @ceeflashpee84
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Bears Use of Patterson Highlighted His Versatility
If Green Bay signed Patterson, they’d also be getting an additional weapon on offense. When they brought him on board in 2019, Bears coach Matt Nagy and company began to incorporate the speedy receiver and returner into the Bears offense more, eventually using him as an option in the running game. In 2019, Patterson had 11 catches for 83 yards to go with 17 carries for 103 yards (that’s 6.1 yards per carry).
Those totals went up in 2020, when the eight-year vet caught 21 passes for 132 yards while also running the ball 64 times (3.6 ypc) for 232 yards and a touchdown. After running back Tarik Cohen went down with a torn ACL Week 3, Patterson saw an expanded role in the offense, and he embraced it every step of the way.
“Anytime my number’s called, I’m always excited,” Patterson told ESPN last fall. “It’s different for me, being a receiver for my whole career, just going in the running back room. I’m just trying to pick those guys’ brains. I tell them I’m a veteran guy, but I’m learning something new, so I’m just trying to learn from you guys. I’m just trying to get better running between the tackles, just running it period. All my career, I’ve been running it outside a lot, so that game’s natural to me.”
“When we were evaluating him, we went back and watched all the touches he’s had at running back in his entire career,” former Bears running backs coach Charles London said about Patterson’s versatility last year, per the Bears’ official website. “You see an explosive player. You see a big player. You see a guy who can outrun guys. You see a guy who’s hard to tackle. I think a lot of the traits you see with him as a running back you see with him on kickoff return, as well.”
Whether the Packers will take a chance on Patterson remains to be seen, but they’d be getting a durable presence (he has played 15+ games every season he’s been in the league) and a player the fans in Green Bay would be lucky to have around — much to the chagrin of Bears fans, of course.
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