After an unusual incident in which Dimitri Patterson denied having gone AWOL for 48 hours last weekend, the Jets have decided to cut their losses, releasing the veteran cornerback today, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Patterson had been suspended indefinitely by the team following last week’s incident.
The Jets would have been the sixth different team that Patterson has played for in his nine-year career, having also suited up for the Redskins, Chiefs, Eagles, Browns, and Dolphins. Despite missing 10 games with a groin injury, Patterson played well for the Dolphins last season, recording four interceptions in just 240 defensive snaps. He also tallied four picks with Philadelphia in 2010, the only season in which he played the full 16 games.
Still, after he essentially called out head coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik, suggesting that their comments about him going AWOL were “completely false,” it appeared that Patterson’s days in New York were numbered. The one-year deal Patterson signed with the Jets earlier this offseason included $1MM in bonus money, and the team was already thin at cornerback, so parting ways with him isn’t an ideal solution. There’s a chance that $1MM signing bonus could be recouped though, given the circumstances surrounding Patterson’s release — I’d expect the team to at least explore that option.
Safety Rontez Miles has also been cut by the Jets, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.