Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick was a surprising cut after training camp last year.
The fan-favorite ended up landing with one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in the Detroit Lions. And after a solid season in which he caught 33 passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns, Patrick is re-signing with the Super Bowl contenders.
The club announced the news on social media on Friday, with the contract reportedly being worth up to $4 million dollars.
It’s a great story for Tim Patrick, who missed all of 2022 and 2023 with the Broncos after suffering back-to-back devastating injuries in training camp. The first time, it was a torn ACL. And the second, after he worked so hard to get back, it was a torn Achilles.
In preseason last year, Patrick worked mostly with the first-team offense and seemed to have great chemistry with Denver rookie QB Bo Nix. But fans were caught off guard when Patrick didn’t make the final 53-man roster. Head coach Sean Payton called the decision “extremely difficult” at the time, while GM George Paton said they had other holes on the roster to fill.
The Broncos kept a player like Lil’Jordan Humphrey instead, who had fewer catches, receiving yards and touchdowns than Patrick, plus a couple of critical mistakes at inopportune times.
It all worked out for the most part, as Denver went 10-7 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Still, if you asked Broncos fans or even the front office, the decision was likely a mistake.
Regardless, Patrick has found a home in Detroit on a loaded offense and remains well-liked in Denver. When it looked like his NFL career might be over, he salvaged it, and Broncos Country will be wishing Tim Patrick well from afar.
