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A returner with 9 attempts was named an All-Pro over Keisean Nixon

Cordarrelle Patterson had a whopping 284 return yards this season compared to Nixon’s 1,009.

NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Starting this season, the NFLPA is going to release its own All-Pro team. In their own words, “For too long, we have allowed everyone else to define the best of us as players. That ends now.” That’s all well and dandy until you mess up as big as they have out the gate.

According to the NFLPA, players can only vote for positions that they either play themselves or that they play against. Despite that wealth of on-field experience, the Atlanta Falcons’ Cordarrelle Patterson was named the league’s First-Team All-Pro by the players for 2022.

Patterson has had a great career as a kick returner and very well might go down as one of the best of all-time. The problem? He returned a total of nine kickoffs for just 284 yards this past season. If you take away one single kick return off his books, Patterson would have gained a grand total of 181 yards on kickoffs in 2022.

For perspective, if you take away Green Bay Packers Keisean Nixon’s longest return of the season, a 105-yard touchdown, he still would be down for 904 yards on the year. That’s more than triple what Patterson posted this season.

Hopefully, the media that votes on the All-Pro list will be kinder to Nixon.

Full List of NFLPA First-Team All-Pros

  • QB: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
  • RB: Josh Jacobs (Raiders)
  • FB: Kyle Juszczyk (49ers)
  • WR: Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Davante Adams (Raiders)
  • TE: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
  • LT: Trent Williams (49ers)
  • LG: Joel Bitonio (Browns)
  • C: Jason Kelce (Eagles)
  • RG: Zack Martin (Cowboys)
  • RT: Lane Johnson (Eagles)
  • EDGE: Nick Bosa (49ers), Myles Garrett (Browns)
  • iDL: Chris Jones (Chiefs), Aaron Donald (Rams)
  • NT: Dexter Lawrence (Giants)
  • LB: Fred Warner (49ers), Roquan Smith (Ravens)
  • CB: Pat Surtain II (Broncos), Darius Slay (Eagles)
  • FS: Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers)
  • SS: Derwin James Jr. (Chargers)
  • KRET: Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons)
  • PRET: KaVontae Turpin (Cowboys)
  • SPT: Jeremy Reaves (Commanders), Justin Hardee (Jets)
  • K: Jason Myers (Seahawks)
  • P: Tommy Townsend (Chiefs)
  • LS: Morgan Cox (Titans)