The Washington Commanders made a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday morning to acquire kicker Cade York. The move resulted in the release of kicker Riley Patterson, a veteran kicker who struggled during training camp in Washington.
Would the Packers, who have their own kicking issues, be interested?
Patterson, an undrafted kicker out of Memphis, is entering his fourth NFL season after kicking for three different teams — the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns — in his first three seasons. Patterson has connected on 59 of 67 field goal attempts, or 88.1 percent, and 93 of 97 extra points, or 95.9 percent. On kicks of at least 40 yards, Patterson is connecting on 19 of 25, or 76 percent. He is 3 of 6 on kicks of more than 50 yards, with the longest of his career at 53 yards.
Patterson, 24, has struggled with the Commanders this summer. Through two preseason games, Patterson has made just 2 of 5 field goal attempts, missing three from 30 to 49 yards.
The Packers currently have a rivalry between Anders Carlson, a current 2023 draft pick who struggled to finish his rookie season; veteran Greg Joseph, who played for the Vikings from 2021-23 but has struggled recently in training camp; and rookie Alex Hale, an Australian native who was named the team’s fresh international player on Wednesday.
The Packers will soon have to make a decision on who will be their kicker in Week 1. Final cuts will be made next Tuesday. In a league starved for consistent kickers, Patterson could be a desirable option.
It’s worth considering Patterson’s indoor/outdoor split for a team that plays its home games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
In indoor shooting, Patterson is 29-of-30 from the field and 47-of-48 on extra points. Almost perfect. Outside? Patterson is 30-of-37 from the field and 46-of-49 on extra points, so most of his missed shots have come outside the comfort of indoor shooting.
It is worth noting that Patterson was available when the Packers signed kicker Jack Podlesny in January. The Jaguars signed Patterson on Feb. 6, and the Commanders acquired Patterson on waivers from the Jaguars on July 31.
Do the Packers want to get the ball rolling before final cuts are made, or will they let the competition play out over the next week — with a joint practice with the Ravens on Thursday and the preseason finale on Saturday — before making a decision? Patterson may not be a significant addition, but he is available now if the Packers want to boost their share of the competition.
