Thankfully, it looks like Cordarrelle Patterson's hip injury is not going to limit him moving forward. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the Vikings' talented playmaker's future is any clearer now that we have an idea he is going to play in Week 6 against the Lions.
Patterson was always going to live and die by the big play, but that formula has not quite worked out for him so far. He scored once on three carries in Week 1, but has rushed the ball just once since, leaving him with just the passing game. At this point, Patterson is still developing as a receiver, and the team has opted not to lean too heavily on him yet.
Patterson has 15 receptions for 189 yards and no touchdowns through five games, and he expressed concern this week about his lack of touches. Hopefully more consistent play will come from the quarterback position if Teddy Bridgewater can get healthy, though Bridgewater has thrown just seven of his 50 passes to Patterson over seven quarters of play.
The Vikings will likely try to find more innovative ways to get Patterson involved in the offense, but it certainly seems as if he is just further along as a receiver than we thought at this point in his career. He probably still has too much upside to drop in most leagues, but Patterson needs to show something before you consider him a starter.