NFC Notes: Cordarrelle Patterson, Hayden Hurst, Falcons, Panthers

Cordarrelle Patterson

Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson put interesting messages on his cleats in Week 18, asking owner Arthur Blank to cut him a check that would see him retire with Atlanta. Patterson later explained that his mother is the one motivated to keep him around.

“My mama, she actually wants me to stay here because it’s only three hours away from the house, and they get to come out to all the home games and stuff like that,” said Patterson, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN. “She told me like two days ago she would love me to be here. But the business side, man, a lot of people don’t see it, the business side of everything, so I’m just going to let my agent and the GM handle that and just sit back and keep grinding.”

We have him included in our Top 100 – 2022 Free Agents list. 

Hayden Hurst

Falcons TE Hayden Hurst had his $5.4 million fifth-year option declined earlier this year and is set to become a free agent. However, Hurst was not yet willing to say if he would move on from Atlanta.

“I just want an opportunity wherever it is,” Hurst said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Here or wherever. I know the type of player that I am, what I can bring to the table, and bring to a team. All I ask for is opportunities…That’s up to Arthur and Terry. All I can do is show up and make the most of my opportunities. I think that I showed that this year. I honestly have no idea.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Matt Rhule answered questions about what kind of offensive coordinator he would like to work with after the team let OC Joe Brady go during the season.

“Going back to the things we talked about that we didn’t do well—someone that has an emphasis on—you know—we wanna be explosive, we wanna score points,” Rhule said, via PanthersWire.com. “We can’t be second in defense and 30th in offense. We wanna be complementary football. I’d rather us be 10 and 10 than two and 30. Someone’s that gonna make sure we trend in that direction. Someone’s who got a great plan to protect the football while, at the same time, being explosive. Someone that has a great way of protecting the quarterback—both with the players and your protections of the system and your scheme. Those things that we said we didn’t do well, this is an opportunity for us to try and take a step and do them well…I want somebody who has experience, who when things go wrong, there’s a way to adjust to them, has answers in their back pocket. Someone who can get the quarterback to be comfortable and play well. And finally, someone who adapts well to the personnel we have.”