Once again, Cordarrelle Patterson did not get a single pass thrown his way as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the New York Jets on Sunday. The wide receiver earned one rushing carry that went six yards. His boxscore stats were disappointing yet again. Patterson was replaced in Week 14 by Charles Johnson who repaid Minnesota with 103 yards and a touchdown, putting the former first-round pick's future in the air. However, head coach Mike Zimmer denies any idea that there is bad blood between the team and Patterson.
According to members of the Vikings' coaching staff, Patterson is not in Zimmer's doghouse. A lot has been made regarding the wide receiver's standing with the head coach after criticism regarding his ability to run routes and get open on the field. When Patterson was benched, the speculation got worse.
"The misconception that he's in somebody's doghouse, that's totally false," wide receivers coach Georgia Stewart said, via The Star Tribune. "... I wouldn't put the term 'bust' on Cordarrelle. He's going to play good football for us. He's a first-round pick for a reason, and he's going to be very successful for us going forward."
Patterson has certainly stalled out in terms of his development. The wide receiver had a lot of hype surrounding him after college and he has simply failed to live up to it through almost two seasons in the league. Zimmer has stressed that he likes what Patterson has to offer on the field, they just need to figure out how to best utilize his talents. However, Patterson is just not catching passes, opening him up to trade speculation heading into the offseason. NFLMocks.com was the first to suggest the Vikings consider a deal for the wide receiver and then chase a player like Amari Cooper or Kevin White in the NFL Draft.
Minnesota is fully committed to Teddy Bridgewater as their franchise star and now intend to build the offense around him which includes getting another star receiver. Zimmer was quick to tell reporters that the franchise is Bridgewater's to run. After unsuccessful stints with both Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel, the rookie quarterback will be the man in charge in the future. Offensive pieces will be a priority in the offseason as a result and Patterson may or may not be a part of the long-term plan.
