After a year on the job and publicly making his case to return to the Atlanta Falcons, Cordaryl Patterson He gets his wish. He resides in Atlanta.
Patterson agreed terms with the Falcons on Saturday, and a source confirmed to ESPN, keeping the multi-faceted attacking player with the team with the most offensive success of his career.
He told ESPN and the “From The Perch” podcast in late February that he wanted to return to the Falcons as long as it made sense to him and his family, saying “Atlanta spoiled me” in 2021 with how it’s being used. He’s also made clear that he’d like to break the all-time kick-back mark – he tied for the all-time lead with eight touchdowns – in Atlanta with special teams coordinator Marquis Williams.
Patterson set his career highs for rushing and receiving with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, running for 618 yards and six touchdowns on 153 moves, while getting 52 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns.
Part of what has made Patterson’s career rise so interesting is his shift in positions. Initially drafted as a wide receiver by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, he became a full-time rider—often widely split—under Falcons first-year coach Arthur Smith.
Patterson, 31, doubled his previous season high in Aries (64 in 2020) and had his biggest goals as a receiver since his 2016 season with the Vikings. He has often expressed his desire to return to the Falcons at the end of the season and early in the off-season, using social media – and his cleats – to persuade Atalanta to retain him after the best offensive season of his career.
Leaving Minnesota after the 2016 season, Patterson bounced between the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and Chicago Bears before landing in Atlanta. Prior to the 2021 season, Patterson, a four-time Pro Bowl pick and four-time All-Pro, was known as one of the best players of all time, with 257 career returns for 7,552 yards and eight touchdowns. His eight return tackles and kicks are tied for the highest levels in NFL history, and his kickback average of 29.4 yards is the third best in NFL history.
The NFL Network was the first to report Patterson’s deal with the Hawks.
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