Falcons activate Patterson off injured reserve list

ATLANTA -- Cordarrelle Patterson, the starring rusher connected the NFL's No. 5-ranked rushing offense, has been activated from injured reserve, giving the Atlanta Falcons 1 of their astir dynamic players back.

The 31-year-old Patterson had been 1 of the NFL's apical moving backs anterior to suffering a genu wounded that needed a process to hole and kept him retired the past 4 weeks. He'd been successful the midst of the champion moving agelong of his career, gaining 340 yards connected 58 carries with 3 touchdowns implicit the archetypal 4 games of the year.

Twice successful the archetypal 4 weeks of the season, Patterson acceptable vocation highs for rushing -- first, for 120 yards successful the season-opener against New Orleans connected Sept. 11, and past again successful Week 3 erstwhile helium ran for 141 yards successful a triumph implicit Seattle connected Sept. 25.

Patterson said Wednesday helium felt 90 percent -- but astatine this clip of year, Patterson said, nary 1 volition beryllium 100 percent -- and during his rehab from injury, helium continually posted videos of his progress.

"I conscionable effort to springiness the fans what they privation to see, man," Patterson said. "I was missing for a mates weeks. I cognize the fans missed maine connected Twitter and stuff, truthful I had conscionable to station a video showing what I was up to."

It had been the continuation of a vocation rejuvenation for the 2013 first-round pick, who had mostly played receiver passim his career. He started earnestly making a determination to moving backmost successful 2020 successful Chicago, and erstwhile helium signed with Atlanta successful 2021, helium had a vocation twelvemonth with 618 yards rushing and 548 yards receiving.

He re-signed with the Falcons connected a two-year declaration successful March aft openly campaigning to instrumentality due to the fact that of his comfortableness with the coaching staff, the discourtesy and the city, wherever helium rapidly became a instrumentality favorite.

Then, this season, helium began the twelvemonth arsenic 1 of the league's apical rushers. In his absence, the Falcons person continued to tally the shot good with moving backs Tyler Allgeier (84 carries, 324 yards, 1 touchdown), Caleb Huntley (57 carries, 265 yards, 1 touchdown) and Avery Williams (10 carries, 58 yards, 1 touchdown) on with backmost Marcus Mariota (55 carries, 280 yards, 3 touchdowns).

But the instrumentality of Patterson offers a antithetic dynamic to the Atlanta discourtesy due to the fact that of the assortment of places Falcons caput manager Arthur Smith tin spot him successful a formation.

"When helium comes back, I deliberation that makes america a amended offense," Smith said successful October. "Put him successful determination successful aggregate (packages). Is helium a wideout? Is helium a back? Is helium a quarterback? Is helium a choky end? That's wherever you privation to get to due to the fact that I cognize that erstwhile helium touches the ball, he's effectual and helium made large plays for america successful the passing crippled a batch past twelvemonth and the tally crippled and helium was surely having a beauteous bully play truthful acold moving the football.

"When helium comes back, I cognize this, there's a batch of things helium tin bash for america and that'll marque america amended arsenic a implicit offense."

He besides creates much problems for antiaircraft coordinators knowing what a acceptable mightiness look similar due to the fact that of his positional versatility.

Patterson said erstwhile helium returns helium sees himself arsenic being portion of the radical that has been 1 of the champion rushing offenses successful the league and a ample crushed wherefore the squad is 4-4 and successful archetypal spot successful the NFC South. He besides said 1 of the things helium is going to wage attraction to -- and that went into the determination of erstwhile helium would instrumentality -- would beryllium his conditioning.

Atlanta tries to usage Patterson each implicit their formations. He had been successful connected 55 percent of the Falcons' snaps pre-injury. This season, he'd chiefly been arsenic a moving backmost (106 snaps successful the backfield, 12 successful the slot, 2 arsenic a choky extremity and 7 arsenic a receiver). Last season, Patterson had 291 snaps astatine moving back, 100 astatine receiver, 51 successful the slot, 16 astatine choky end, 1 astatine backmost and 2 astatine escaped safety.

The Falcons look the Los Angeles Chargers -- 1 of 2 teams remaining connected the Atlanta docket implicit the .500 people -- connected Sunday.

Atlanta besides signed antiaircraft lineman Jalen Dalton to the 53-man roster. To marque country for Patterson and Dalton, the Falcons placed starting near defender Elijah Wilkinson connected injured reserve and released borderline rusher Quinton Bell.

Matt Hennessy is expected to commencement astatine near defender successful spot of Wilkinson.

The Falcons besides elevated information Jovante Moffatt and violative lineman Ryan Neuzil from the signifier squad for Sunday.