The Washington Commanders are releasing kicker Riley Patterson following the trade for former Cleveland Browns kicker Cade York, according to John Keim of ESPN. Patterson has spent time with six NFL organizations since going undrafted out of Memphis in 2021. He's seen regular-season action with the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cleveland Browns, and has made 59 of his 67 field goal attempts through the first 39 contests of his career. Patterson's 88.1% career field goal percentage is above the league's average, so it would not be surprising if he lands another opportunity this season.
Washington Commanders kicker Riley Patterson carried over his struggles from last week as he went 2-for-4 on field goal attempts on Saturday evening. Patterson missed his two attempts from 49 yards and 43 yards, respectively, while he converted on a 46 and a 38-yard attempt. Last week, the 24-year-old went 0-for-1 from 39 yards out, while Ramiz Ahmed went 1-for-1 from 40 yards out on his lone attempt. While Patterson is currently the only kicker listed on the Washington depth chart, as Ahmed was cut earlier this week to make room for wide receiver Martavis Bryant, his inconsistency this preseason could open the door for a kicking competition. Fantasy managers should continue to pay close attention to the depth chart over the next few weeks as the starting kicker on the Commanders could be viable in standard leagues if Jayden Daniels is able to quickly adjust to the NFL.
Commanders Claim Kicker Riley Patterson From Jaguars
The Washington Commanders have claimed kicker Riley Patterson off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a brief stint with Brandon McManus, the Commanders are turning to Patterson, a recent kicker for the Jaguars. Patterson has appeared in 39 career games, including 15 last season with the Lions and Browns. On Wednesday, Ramiz Ahmed was the only kicker on the Commanders' 90-man roster. Ahmed has played in just one career game, serving as a fill-in for Mason Crosby with the Packers in 2022. Patterson joined the Jaguars on a reserve/futures contract but lost an early camp competition to sixth-round rookie Cam Little. The Commanders will evaluate whether Patterson or Ahmed can serve as a dependable kicker. The winner of this competition could hold significant value, especially as the Commanders' offense, led by Jayden Daniels, looks promising but might need to score heavily due to a potentially weak defense.
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived kicker Riley Patterson on Monday, according to the team. Patterson was cut after losing the kicking competition to rookie sixth-rounder Cam Little early in training camp this summer. The 24-year-old will now look for other opportunities around the league heading into the 2024 regular season this fall. Patterson, a former undrafted rookie out of Memphis, spent last year with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. In 15 games, he went 16-for-18 on his field-goal chances while missing three of his 44 extra-point tries. For his career after debuting in 2021 with the Lions, Patterson has made 88.1% of his field goals and 95.9% of his extra points in 39 games played. The Jags offense could be quite formidable in 2024, but fantasy managers can ignore the unproven Little in standard 12-team leagues.
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed kicker Riley Patterson to a Reserve/Futures deal on Monday, bringing back the player who kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired to complete the team's comeback from a 27-0 deficit in a wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in January of 2023. The Jaguars used former Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus as their kicker in 2023, but he'll be an unrestricted free agent this March. If McManus signs elsewhere, Jacksonville could go back to the 24-year-old Patterson, who made 16 of his 18 field-goal tries in 15 games this past season with the Detroit Lions before signing with the Cleveland Browns late in the year. He kicked in the final two regular-season games with the Browns and in their wild-card playoff loss to the Texans.
Cleveland Browns kicker Riley Patterson will appear in his third game for the team in Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Patterson, who is kicking in place of the injured Dustin Hopkins (hamstring), will go up against a Houston defense that allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the kicker position during the regular season. Across 15 games between the Detroit Lions and Cleveland, Patterson had made 16 of his 18 field-goal attempts. He can be considered as a decent flex option in DFS contests that utilize kickers this weekend.
Cleveland Browns kicker Riley Patterson has been elevated to the active roster ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Starting kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) hurt his hamstring back in Week 16 against the Texans while chasing down Cameron Johnson, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Luckily for Hopkins, the Browns have already clinched a playoff spot so he won't be needed for Sunday's contest against the Bengals. Patterson will fill in for him and the hope is that Hopkins will be ready for the playoffs in a week.
The Cleveland Browns elevated kicker Riley Patterson from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster for Thursday night's contest against the New York Jets. The Browns signed Patterson to their practice squad on Christmas after Dustin Hopkins injured his hamstring in the Week 17 win over the Houston Texans. Hopkins has been ruled out for Thursday Night Football, so the 24-year-old Patterson will take over as Cleveland's kicker for at least this week. In 13 games for the Detroit Lions this year, Patterson made 15 of his 17 field-goal attempts and missed two of his 37 extra-point tries. Fantasy managers would be wise to avoid Patterson in starting lineups in his debut for Cleveland against a defense that could make it difficult for the Browns to move the ball consistently like they have been doing in recent weeks.
The Cleveland Browns signed free agent kicker Riley Patterson to their practice squad on Monday. The addition provides depth for the team after Dustin Hopkins (left hamstring) left Sunday's game and did not return. Given that the Browns have a short week and Hopkins has very little time to recover, getting an extra leg onto the roster was imperative. Patterson was cut loose by the Lions last week after converting 15 of 17 field goals and 35 of 37 extra points through 13 games.
The Detroit Lions waived kicker Riley Patterson on Tuesday and activated rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker (knee) from the Non-Football Injury list in a corresponding move. The writing was on the wall for Patterson when Michael Badgley was active over him in Saturday's win over the Denver Broncos. The 24-year-old wasn't bad in 13 games for Detroit in 2023, going 15-for-17 on his field-goal tries while missing two of his 37 extra-point attempts. The 25-year-old Hooker could be the quarterback of the future in Detroit, but his first year in the NFL was always expected to be more of a medical redshirt year while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in November of 2022. For the rest of this season, he'll practice with the team and try to learn behind Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater.
