Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson will be out indefinitely, the team announced on Sunday. Patterson underwent brain surgery six months ago for the arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which refers to a tangle of blood vessels on the skull which doctors discovered last year. Patterson has been placed on the non-football injury list, Eagles coach Andy Reid said during a press conference.
Reid hinted that Antonio Dixon is a possible replacement for Patterson's starting job until he can recover. There is no current timetable for Patterson's return, but Reid did say that he expects Patterson to play this season.
Reid said that Patterson had targeted this week to return and feels ready go, but was surprised when his doctor would not clear him to play. Patterson needed to have a portion of his skull removed for the procedure and its that area which is still healing. Patterson will be at camp to work out on the side, but will not participate in any practices.
Patterson played in 15 games for the Eagles last season, making 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Patterson has been a consistent starter for Philadelphia since 2006. He joined the team in 2005 when he was a first-round NFL Draft pick out of USC.
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