Falcon Report

OFFICIAL: Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson Becomes Free Agent; Return to Atlanta?

Atlanta Falcons running back and return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson is now a free agent.

Jeremy Brener

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Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson is officially a free agent after his contract was voided today.

If the decision were solely up to special teams coordinator Marquice Williams, Patterson would be back in Atlanta.

Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84) carries the ball against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84) carries the ball against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

“I had the opportunity to work with a guy who is the best in history when it comes to kickoff returns," Williams said. "We have a lot of free agents that’s contracts will be up in a month. Those are situations, those are conversations that are above me when it comes to that. I love all of the players that I’ve coached in the past three years here, if we’re just talking about the Atlanta Falcons. ... But I’ll tell you this, CP did a hell of a job for us in his three years here. Whether you talk about his role on offense or his role on special teams, he helped us win games and he made impactful plays.”

However, the decision isn't in Williams' hands, but rather the Falcons front office. Atlanta must decide if Patterson, who turns 33 next month, should be back with the Falcons.

While Patterson is an excellent return specialist, his role outside of that is a bit of a mystery. While he was seen as a running back in Arthur Smith's offense, the same may not be said in Raheem Morris's vision. With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier already in the running back room, snaps will be scarce for Patterson in the backfield.

Perhaps another team in free agency could offer Patterson more playing time outside of special teams, and that would be enough to sway him away from Atlanta.

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Regardless of what happens, it's clear that saying goodbye to Patterson, if it happens, will be far from easy.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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