Cordarrelle Patterson arrived in Mankato three weeks ago with the same old playful smile but also a new determination to show the Vikings and a growing hoard of naysayers that a two-year-long wake-up call had been answered.
But after 90 minutes of the first practice of training camp and while making an impressive catch that showcased his still-significant athletic abilities, he suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a couple of weeks.
Instead of trying to chase down passes from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and fellow receivers Charles Johnson and Stefon Diggs on the depth chart, Patterson was stuck watching them team up for big play after big play.
"I wanted to come out here and bust my butt every day," Patterson, a 2013 first-round draft pick, said after Tuesday's walk-through. "I'm just ready to be out there, and when my time comes I have to make the most of it."
His first opportunity should come Thursday night when the Vikings play the Seahawks in a preseason game at Seattle's CenturyLink Field. Coach Mike Zimmer was noncommittal about Patterson's status, but the expectation is he will play. Patterson, who was not ready to play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the preseason opener, knows he needs to get back on the field.
He is arguably the NFL's top kickoff returner, having scored four touchdowns that way in three NFL seasons, so his roster spot seems secure. But to carve out a significant role on offense for the first time since the first half of the 2014 season, Patterson likely needs to show the Vikings some proof that he took seriously their requests to become a more polished pass-catcher.
If Patterson didn't do that, Zimmer said two days after the playoff loss to the Seahawks, then he wouldn't be anything more than a returner here.
"I've really kind of opened up to any challenges," Patterson said. "Guys saying things like that … I feel like that's a great challenge. That's something I wanted to do every year, but I feel like [I had] just been slacking."