The Chicago Bears paid Cordarrelle Patterson a lot of money when they signed him in 2019. A two-year deal for $10 million for what many saw as a kick returner. Even so, the veteran receiver earned every penny of that contract. He finished with back-to-back All-Pro seasons as a returner and special teams ace. Does he have any regrets about how things went? Maybe a few.
Staying in Chicago was something he’d been hoping for. Patterson made that clear on several occasions as the offseason unfolded. Sadly the Bears just didn’t have the finances to pay him the kind of money it would take. In the end, he couldn’t wait any longer. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons for $3 million. When asked about his time in Chicago, he did voice one frustration according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
That the Bears coaching staff didn’t use him more in the running game.
Depending on what the Falcons do next week, Patterson could finally be in line for a more significant backfield role.
A heavier workload is something he wanted in Chicago but never received.
“Last year didn’t go as planned at running back. Hopefully, this year will go better,” Patterson said.
That seems a bit unfair. Chicago had Patterson run the ball 64 times in 2020. That is the most of his NFL career, beating out the 42 he had in 2018 with the New England Patriots. Besides that, it isn’t like the guy was ripping up defenses on the ground. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry for the season. Maybe if he’d been producing more consistently on the ground, the coaches would’ve used him more often.
Part of why they likely didn’t feed him more was the ascent of David Montgomery. He really became the featured player on the Bears’ offense over the second half of the season with 717 yards and seven touchdowns in the final eight games. It’s also possible the team didn’t want to use Patterson too often and risk him getting hurt given his immense value on special teams. There is a number of possible explanations.
Cordarrelle Patterson will be missed regardless
He was a tremendous player in his brief time with the Bears. The only regret is that it didn’t last long. An unfortunate side effect of the pandemic. Filling his void on special teams is going to be a chore for GM Ryan Pace and the coaching staff. In regards to the running back room? That is another story. Chicago still has Montgomery in place. Now their depth is about to get a huge boost.
Tarik Cohen will be returning from his torn ACL last season. Joining him will be former Kansas City Chiefs undrafted free agent Damien Williams, who hasn’t played a game since his heroic performance in the Super Bowl over a year ago. Health permitting, that has a chance to be a pretty solid backfield. It is the kick return game where they have work to do. Nobody on the roster really stands out as a suitable replacement for Cordarrelle Patterson.
So one can surmise a move is forthcoming.
Don’t be surprised if they target somebody with that particular skill either in the draft or undrafted free agency. They can’t afford to pay much money to fill such a secondary position of importance. Not with several needs left to address on offense and defense. This may be an area of the roster that experiences a significant dip for the time being. A necessary sacrifice for the better of the whole.