Dimitri Patterson Reportedly Declines Opportunity to Play with Seattle Seahawks

Veteran cornerback Dimitri Patterson has remained a free agent since the New York Jets released him in late August. Even though there's been interest, including a workout offer from the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks, he reportedly continues to hold out for a more lucrative opportunity.

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 reports the 31-year-old defensive back has refused to sign with any team offering the veteran's minimum as the regular season heads into its seventh week:

It's an interesting decision. Most active free agents are waiting for any chance to arise with the hope of joining a team for the rest of the season.

Furthermore, it's hard to imagine many others turning down a chance to work out for a Super Bowl contender like the Seahawks. On the surface, joining that defense seems like a perfect opportunity to get some playing time in a proven scheme to boost your value for the future.

The reported decision comes after a weird sequence leading up to his departure from the Jets.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reported back in August that Patterson was an apparent no-show for a preseason game against the New York Giants. The team stated it took another day before it was able to confirm he wasn't in any danger.

The report also included a statement from the corner, who said that wasn't an accurate depiction of what happened.

"My agent reached out to the Jets organization multiple times several hours prior to Friday night's game," the statement read. "My commitment to the Jets organization and to my teammates has never been an issue and never will be an issue."

The team decided to move forward without him anyway.

He's remained on the open market since that release. The only other notable news came from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who reported last month that Patterson had a workout with the Detroit Lions. He left without a deal.

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Patterson has been a part of seven different organizations during his decade in the NFL. He's never stayed in one place for longer than two seasons. He played six games for the Miami Dolphins last season, racking up 19 tackles and four interceptions.

Although he still has the talent to help a secondary, it doesn't appear any team is willing to make the type of investment he's seeking. Between the bizarre situation with the Jets and the fact that he hasn't played more than seven games in a season since 2011, there's risk involved unless it's a simple, short-term contract.

And it sounds like Patterson isn't interested in playing for that type of deal.