Most guys would jump at the chance to start in the NFL, but New York Justs first-team cornerback Dimitri Patterson seemed to be doing the opposite.
The veteran cornerback rejoined the New York Jets on Sunday night after going ‘awol’ and not showing up for the team’s game against the Giants on Friday night according to the Associated Press.
The Jets announced that Patterson returned to the team’s training facility and spoke with general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan.
The team didn’t release any other details. It was a scenario that Jets Idzik called “highly unusual.”
Idzik announced during a conference call Sunday that he learned through agent Drew Rosenhaus on Saturday that Patterson was OK physically and it is not believed to be a legal issue.
Idzik said his “unexcused” absence would be handled accordingly, but added that he would rather not speculate on anything, including possible discipline, until the team had the chance to speak to Patterson.
“Needless to say, this situation was not expected and is highly unusual,” Idzik said.
Both Idzik and Ryan said they had no indication that Patterson was unhappy, but thought he might have been frustrated with his injuries — although he was working his way back onto the field.
“There really wasn’t any warning that we had of something like this,” Idzik said. “There was nothing to indicate this kind of behavior.”
Patterson was expected to start for the Jets as long as he was healthy.
“Selfishly, we want Dimitri on this football team and I think we made that clear when we signed him that we had big plans for him,” Ryan said. “Obviously, we’d like to see him out here, so I’m a little shocked he wasn’t here. Still feel that way, but I’m not real comfortable talking about it until we talk to Dimitri and find out what’s going on.”