Mike Patterson won't be joining his Philadelphia Eagles teammates in training camp, after all.
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With Patterson's physician uncomfortable clearing the defensive tackle now six months removed from cranial surgery, Eagles head trainer Rick Burkholder said Sunday that Patterson won't participate in training camp. He has been placed on the non-injury football list.
No official time table was given, but Burkholder said Patterson could be out "a couple of months."
"It's something that we thought he'd be ready because today is six months since the surgery, and he's not," Burkholder said. "And that's just what happens with healing. Everyone heals differently and we anticipate he'll heal up fully and be back playing again. It's just not today."
Patterson suffered a seizure for nearly four-minutes during Eagles training camp last season. Doctors then discovered that he had an arteriovenous malformation, a rare condition which often doesn't produce any symptoms, but grows over time. The condition required surgery in which doctors cut away a piece of bone in Patterson's skull to remove a tangle of blood vessels behind his right eye and seal off the nearby veins. The bone was reattached without bolts or plates.
This is a disappointing setback for the Eagles, who anticipated Patterson would return for training camp. Eagles coach Andy Reid indicated Patterson's spot in the starting lineup would become an open competition in camp, mentioning Antonio Dixon as one of the candidates.
