Tim Patrick gave the Lions a boost as the No. 3 WR last season, but is off to a slow start in training camp
Training camp hasn’t come easy for Tim Patrick.
The veteran receiver has been an afterthought at times in the Detroit Lions’ new offense and fully admits “it’s taken me a minute” to find his groove.
But with more than a month until the regular season begins, Patrick said this week he’s confident he’ll be back to form by the Lions’ Sept. 7 season opener against the Green Bay Packers.
“This is my first time going through a camp like this,” Patrick said. “So yeah, I'm starting off a little slow, but I promise you by the time the season comes, I'm going to be firing on all cylinders.”
Patrick gave the Lions a big lift last season after signing at the end of training camp. He missed all of the 2022-23 seasons with the Denver Broncos because of injuries and was part of that team’s initial cut to a 53-man roster last year.
In Detroit, Patrick emerged as a reliable No. 3 receiver. He started nine games, caught 33 passes for 394 yards and finished sixth in voting for Comeback Player of the Year.
By all accounts, Patrick looks and feels good physically as he enters his age-32 season (he turns 32 on Nov. 23).
Lions quarterback Jared Goff said Patrick seems faster now than he was a season ago.
“He looks like he aged down a year, like Benjamin Button,” Goff said. “He looks great. It's been fun working with him.”
And Patrick said his body feels “great” coming off his first healthy offseason in three years.
“That's why I'm just frustrated that it's not showing right now, 'cause in OTAs it did,” he said. “Training camp is a little different. I just got to pick this (expletive) up.”
Even if he does, Patrick is no lock to be as involved in the offense this fall as he was last year.
Return man Kalif Raymond has had a strong camp and is healthy after missing time last season with a knee injury. Two-back and two-tight end sets could become more prevalent as new offensive coordinator John Morton seeks to create mismatches on the field. And the Lions added two receivers in April's draft: third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa and seventh-rounder Dominic Lovett, both of whom have impressed in camp.
TeSlaa has a similar size to Patrick as a downfield threat, and Lovett could be active on gamedays because of his special-teams ability.
“This is probably one of the hardest training camps I’ve been around and for them to handle it the way they’ve been handling it is very encouraging and inspiring,” Patrick said. “It makes me want to go harder because I've been slacking a little bit so they're picking up my game.”
Patrick has enough familiarity with Morton, who was an assistant in Denver in 2023 when he missed the season with a torn Achilles, that it should help him find his niche in the offense, too. And he said the Lions are so talented that his job “to beat the number, what, four cornerback?” should be easy.
For now, though, he’s focused on getting right on the field in camp so he’s ready for the regular season.
“I put a lot of work in and I'm mad that it's not showing right now,” he said. “But it will.”
Dave Birkett will appear at the Buy Michigan Now author showcase from 3-8 p.m. Aug. 2 in downtown South Lyon with his book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." He covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions WR Tim Patrick 'frustrated' with sluggish training camp
Category: Football
