(670 The Score) Across his eight seasons in the NFL, Cordarrelle Patterson has often been used in a gadget role for various teams. The Bears view him as something different this year -- a running back.
After losing running back Tarik Cohen to a torn ACL last Sunday, the Bears now may need to rely on Patterson even more in their backfield mix. It's the next step in coach Matt Nagy's plan to maximize Patterson at running back.
"So far, I’m really proud of Cordarrelle, the way he’s handled things of us moving him around and doing different things," Nagy said Thursday.
Patterson, 29, saw his largest role as a running back while playing for the Super Bowl-winning Patriots in 2018, carrying the ball 42 times for 228 yards and a touchdown. New England coach Bill Belichick saw value in using the 6-foot-2, 238-pound Patterson out of the backfield.
Patterson signed with the Bears in 2019, and Nagy soon began crafting plans for how he could best utilize him. But those plans never got off the ground as Chicago's offense struggled to find consistency last season. Patterson had just 28 touches on offense, including 17 carries while listed as a wide receiver on the roster.
The Bears elected to move Patterson to running back this season, believing that could elevate his role in the offense. Patterson has averaged 7.1 yards per carry during his career and 8.9 yards per touch from scrimmage. He has 15 carries for 59 yards to go with three receptions for 20 yards this season.
Behind starter David Montgomery and Patterson, the Bears have Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce at running back. Nall has rushed twice for eight yards in his career. Pierce was an undrafted rookie. With that as context, Patterson is likely to see an increased workload as the change of pace to Montgomery.
"I’m always ready for whatever," Patterson said. "Whatever coach throws at me, I’m ready for it, man. Each and every week, whenever my number’s called, I try to go out there and make a play."
The second-year back Montgomery could also see his workload uptick after emerging as a more consistent rushing threat in the Bears' reshaped offense and benefitting from the offensive line's improvement. Montgomery has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and is being counted on more by Nagy, who has been more committed to running the ball.
But the Bears have also explored veteran depth at running back, inviting in veteran Lamar Miller and three others this week for workouts. Nagy and the Bears are still working through their options and how to redefine those roles.
"That’ll be our job as coaches," Nagy said. "To figure out schematically how we want to use them."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.