Cornerback Dimitri Patterson will have to cool his jets for a few more days after the Jets announced that his suspension for failing to show up for last Friday’s game against the Giants would extend through at least September 1.
Patterson took issue with characterizations of his absence as going AWOL, although that’s how the Jets presented it before and after handing down the suspension. Patterson has now addressed the absence again in a statement to Josina Anderson of ESPN that continued to keep the reason for his absence private while saying he let the Jets know he wouldn’t be there and that his absence wasn’t due to dissatisfaction with his role on defense.
“As it relates to my whereabouts and me missing for 48 hours without being seen or heard from me or my representative is completely false. My agent reached out to the Jets organization multiple times several hours prior to Friday night’s game,” Patterson said in the statement. “My commitment to the Jets organization and to my teammates has never been an issue and never will be an issue. As it relates to the rumors about my frustration in regards to the depth chart is totally and completely false. In nine years I have never had control over the depth chart.”
The Jets never said that they hadn’t heard from Patterson’s agent, just that he failed to show up for the game without being excused by the team ahead of time. As for the reason and his commitment to the Jets, Patterson only needs to satisfy the Jets’s concerns and their need for help at cornerback appears to be a big boost for him on that front.