Chiefs Take Chance on Former No. 1 Overall Recruit and Sign Undrafted QB
By Michael Luciano
337 players were invited to the NFL Combine, and Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson capped off a helter-skelter college career by earning the unfortunate distinction of being the only player out of that group not to have signed a contract until a week after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Patterson's wait to find a pro team has finally drawn to a close, as the Kansas City Chiefs signed the former Wolverine to a deal.
Former Michigan QB Shea Patterson is signing with the #Chiefs, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 3, 2020
In a juicy bit of irony, one of the quarterbacks Patterson will compete against for Patrick Mahomes' backup gig is Jordan Ta'amu, who caused Patterson to transfer from Ole Miss to Michigan after he secured the starting quarterback job. Longtime NFL backup and former Michigan man Chad Henne is also on the roster.
Patterson's 45 touchdowns against 15 picks in Ann Arbor look like solid numbers, but a 56% completion percentage and a benching in the Wisconsin game speak to the fact that Patterson was a massive disappointment in college.
He tried to improve his stock at the Senior Bowl after Iowa's Nate Stanley turned down an invite, but it was clear he didn't belong, as he struggled with accuracy, arm strength, and even taking the snap.
Michigan QB Shea Patterson off to a miserable start on Day 2 at the Senior Bowl. He’s missed short, he’s missed long, he’s thrown a couple outright ducks and he just got chewed out for dropping a second snap.
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) January 22, 2020
Patterson was a bit of a disappointment at Michigan, but the natural athleticism is still there, and that's good enough for Andy Reid and the Chiefs to take a flyer on him.