Former Florida State Running Back Earns Deal With Denver Broncos Following Mini-Camp
With the 2023 XFL season complete, standouts from the league are getting opportunities with NFL teams. 11 former XFL players signed with NFL franchises on Monday, the first day that they were eligible to do so.
It didn't take long for another player to join their ranks as they prepare to make the leap to the highest level.
On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos signed former Florida State running back Jacques Patrick to a deal, according to his agent. Patrick starred with the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas, who will retain his rights if he returns to the league.
The contract was extended following his performance during a tryout workout at Denver's Rookie Mini-Camp over the weekend. Patrick did enough to impress new head coach Sean Payton and his staff to get a further look with the franchise.
The Florida native is coming off his second stint in the XFL where he was one of the top offensive threats on the Brahmas. He finished second in the league in rushing as he totaled 115 attempts for 443 yards and five touchdowns while also catching 30 passes for 238 yards. Four of his five touchdowns came during the final three games of the year, including a season-high 96 yards and a score in a close loss to Houston.
Patrick previously spent time at the NFL level with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens. Most of the stints were on the practice squad but he was promoted to the 53-man roster for two games with San Francisco and rushed two times for 12 yards.
Sean Payton is taking over the Broncos in an effort to get veteran quarterback Russell Wilson back on track. That will require consistency from the skill players around Wilson.
The team is retooling a running backs room that struggled at times last season as Melvin Gordon, Chase Edmonds and Latavius Murray will not return to the franchise. Denver has seven running backs on its roster with the addition of Patrick, including Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine.
Patrick was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft following a four-year career in Tallahassee where he played for Jimbo Fisher and Willie Taggart. He spent the first half of his time with the Seminoles playing behind Dalvin Cook and the latter half splitting carries with then-rising star Cam Akers.
The 6-foot-2, 234-pound running back is ranked in the top 20 in program history in rushing touchdowns (tied for 15) and rushing yards (16). He appeared in 45 games, with 13 starts, totaling 366 attempts for 1,790 yards with 17 touchdowns on the ground while catching 47 passes for 356 yards and a score during his time at Florida State.
Patrick's best season with the Seminoles came in 2017 when he appeared in 11 games and started nine. He finished the year with a career-high 134 rushes for 748 yards and seven touchdowns. Patrick recorded 155 yards and two touchdowns in a victory against ULM that sent the program to a bowl game.
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