Former Vikings first-round pick expected to land in NFC South

Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is reportedly expected to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.

Back in the 2013 NFL Draft, Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman wasn’t satisfied enough with the team coming out of the first round with just two players. So Spielman worked out a deal with the New England Patriots to land an additional first-round selection for the Vikings.

So with their third pick in the first round of the 2013 draft, Minnesota decided to select former Tennesee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

Patterson was never able to find a solid role in the Vikings‘ offense during his four seasons with the franchise. But he did quickly establish himself as one of the best kick returners in the history of the NFL.

Cordarrelle Patterson is not signing with the Minnesota Vikings

Earlier this offseason, some rumors were swirling about Patterson potentially re-joining Minnesota’s roster. While he would’ve been a great addition to help the Vikings improve their underwhelming return game, it doesn’t sound like a reunion is going to happen.

Instead, Patterson is expected to join the Atlanta Falcons for the upcoming 2021 season. The former Minnesota receiver reportedly met with the Falcons on Wednesday and he is expected to “have a deal soon,” according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.

If Patterson does end up signing with Atlanta, they will be the fourth different team he’s suited up for since he left Minnesota in 2017.

Despite not finishing with more than 31 catches in each of his last four seasons, the former Vikings receiver has been able to stick around in the NFL for almost a decade. This has been mostly due to his skills as a kick returner, however, which has resulted in him earning four First-Team All-Pro selections.

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It would have been fun to see Patterson back in purple for the upcoming season. But a return to Minnesota seems more and more like something that probably isn’t going to ever happen for the receiver.