Patterson could get some work in the backfield if David Montgomery (groin) misses games, but Patterson has shown a tendency to bounce runs outside and doesn't have much experience with pass blocking, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune.
The Bears are light on backfield depth, with the other options being passing-down specialist Tarik Cohen, special teams player Ryan Nall and undrafted rookie Artavis Pierce. Biggs identifies Pierce as being the closest to a traditional running back, while the other three guys appear more specialized. Long story short, Patterson has a shot to get some backfield snaps, but he isn't likely to take a large number of carries Week 1 against Detroit.