Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson trade seeming like real possibility

All offseason we heard from outside networks that the Atlanta Falcons would trade third-string running back Cordarrelle Patterson. It seemed like a plausible assumption on the surface but if you dug deeper, Patterson was still a vital player for this team.

However, after dealing with an injury that kept him out for the first few weeks, Patterson has yet to receive many snaps and hasn't made any significant impact. This could signal towards the Falcons trading him prior to the trade deadline.

Falcons could end up trading 'joker' Cordarrelle Patterson

Cordarrelle Patterson has been an electric player for the Atlanta Falcons. The utility man has done a little bit of everything since he joined the Falcons in 2021.

Going into 2023, despite having Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson ahead of him on the depth chart, it seemed like Patterson was still going to have a huge role for this team. Of course, he is the greatest kick returner in NFL history, but he is also a tone-setter at both the running back and wide receiver position.

Before the season started, Patterson was injured and it kept him off of the field for a few games. He has now been active for a few games this season but has only played a handful of snaps and he really doesn't seem to be a focal point of the offense.

Since returning he has only played 16 snaps. He is probably still working his way back from injury considering his snap counts have gone from 1 to 5 to 10 since week four.

On the stat sheet, he has one carry for zero yards and two catches for 13 yards in the three games he has played.

As a kick returner, he isn't even seeing any balls worth returning. Kickoff specialists seem to be kicking the ball out of the back of the endzone more than ever this year and even when they don't they aren't allowing him the chance to return anything.

Patterson has lined up at kick returner 17 times and has only returned two kicks for a total of 35 yards. Yards have been tough to come by for the 'joker.'

It will be worth monitoring how many snaps he plays over the next couple of games. If he doesn't start seeing the field more and/or doesn't make an impact, then the Falcons could elect to get something for him while they still can. He is in the final year of his contract so it might be worth parting ways with him.