Michigan Football: It’s a good thing Shea Patterson went to NFL
Former Michigan football quarterback Shea Patteson talked at the NFL combine about how he nearly stayed at U-M another year. It’s a good thing he didn’t.
At the NFL combine Tuesday, former Michigan football quarterback Shea Patterson opened up about how he nearly petitioned for a fifth-year with the Wolverines.
Looking back, there were reports that he could try to come back for a fifth season. Since he played only three games as a freshman at Ole Miss, some thought he would have a chance to get approved for a fifth season, which could have given him a possible third year as the Wolverines starter.
“I couldn’t really find out until early February — maybe late February? — if I would even get the fifth year,” Patterson said to MLive. “That’s a big risk. I would have had to pass up the Senior Bowl. I would have had to pass up training. If I didn’t get that, I would have been stuck in no-man’s land.”
If Patterson had returned, Michigan football would have been stuck in no man’s land, stuck with a quarterback that has proven he will never be anything more than just average.
Patterson talked about getting another year in the offense and that might have helped him be more productive. He surely could have led the Wolverines to another 10-win season but does anyone think Patterson is going to Columbus next year and winning, after what we saw in big games the last two years?
It’s time to get real about Patterson. He was a good, not great quarterback. His record was decent and his stats put him among the best at U-M in key categories, but he was never and will never be an elite quarterback. Heck, Mel Kiper Jr. said he would be lucky to get drafted.
That might seem harsh but it’s just a reality. The most common diagnosis for Michigan’s lack of big-game victories has been the lack of an elite quarterback. That’s a direct indictment of Patterson and having him return for another season would have kept the Wolverines stuck in neutral, instead of at least seeing what’s there with Joe Milton and Dylan McCaffrey.
Next. Top 15 Michigan quarterbacks of all time. dark
At the end of the day, Patterson was always the victim of ridiculous expectations. He was a solid college player and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him hang around as an NFL backup for the next five years. He has the ability, he was just never the savior Michigan football fans hoped he’d be.