Cordarrelle Patterson's strange absence in Atlanta's Week 4 win has an explanation that will force the dynamic playmaker out of action for a while.
Atlanta placed Patterson on injured reserve Monday, the team announced, due to a knee injury suffered prior to the game. Patterson played in the first half, but spent most of the final two quarters on the sideline while the Falcons turned to young running backs Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley to handle the workload.
Patterson will miss at least the next four games while on IR before he's eligible to return to the field.
After proving himself as a capable running and receiving threat in his first season with the Falcons in 2021, Patterson returned to fill the role of an offensive weapon in a unit that also welcomed rookie receiver Drake London into the fold. Patterson resumed his productive role, rushing 22 times for 120 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, and racking up 141 yards and another TD on 17 attempts in Week 3. He rushed just nine times for 38 yards and a score in Sunday's game before exiting.
Thanks to the contributions from Allgeier and Huntley, the Falcons can feel better about losing Patterson for the next month. Those who tuned into Falcons games for fresh Patterson magic will be disappointed, though, as the exciting 31-year-old will be sidelined for much-needed healing time.
The Falcons also announced Monday that Huntley has been signed to the 53-man roster.
