Cordarrelle Patterson, who produced some of the best offensive seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, was arrested early Saturday in Tennessee on a domestic assault charge.
Police records show the 35-year-old was detained by the Sevierville Police Department in Clover and booked into the Sevier County Jail. He was released later the same night at 10:15 p.m. TMZ Sports broke the news of the arrest, and authorities have released no further information about the circumstances.
Patterson spent three seasons in Atlanta from 2021 through 2023 and emerged as a central piece of the offense under Arthur Smith. During that stretch he accounted for 24 of his 61 career starts and showed a versatility that had been less prominent earlier in his career.
His first year with the Falcons produced career-best marks of 52 catches for 548 yards and five touchdowns. He added 618 rushing yards and six scores on 153 carries, finishing with 1,166 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.
The next season brought another high-water mark as he rushed for 695 yards and eight touchdowns on 144 attempts. Those back-to-back campaigns represented the clearest stretch of sustained offensive production in his 12-year NFL run.
Patterson also made history on special teams while in Atlanta. In a Nov. 20, 2022 home game against the Chicago Bears, he took a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, giving him nine career kickoff-return scores and sole possession of the NFL record.
The score, which helped Atlanta rally for a 27-24 win, ended a tie with Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington. It was his first return touchdown since the 2020 season and remains the league standard.
Injuries and a smaller role limited him in 2023. He played in 14 games without starting, managing 50 carries for 181 yards and nine receptions for 38 yards with one touchdown.
After leaving Atlanta, Patterson signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2024 and appeared in 13 games that season before the team released him in July 2025. He has not signed with another club since.
Originally selected in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013, Patterson also played for the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and Chicago Bears. He won Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots after the 2018 season.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection and multiple-time All-Pro as a return specialist, he was named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team. His 109-yard kickoff return in 2013 still stands as one of the longest plays in league history.
The Falcons organization has not commented on the arrest. Patterson last appeared in a Falcons uniform in 2023, and any future attempt to resume his career would be subject to the NFL’s personal-conduct review process.
His years in Atlanta highlighted the dual-threat role that defined the middle portion of his career before the current legal development.
