FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today the signing of veteran WR David Patten. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Patten previously spent four seasons with the Patriots from 2001-04.
Patten played in 54 regular-season games with 44 starts for the Patriots from 2001-04 and also played in six postseasons games with three starts during his tenure in New England. He caught 165 passes for 2,513 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular-season and added 15 receptions for 174 yards with two touchdowns in the postseason for the Patriots. The best statistical season in his 12 NFL seasons was in 2004 with New England when he registered 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Patten was on the receiving end of the longest pass play in New England history, a 91-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady at Indianapolis on Oct. 21, 2001.
Patten is a veteran of 12 NFL seasons with the New York Giants (1997-99), Cleveland Browns (2000), New England (2001-04), Washington Redskins (2005-06) and New Orleans Saints (2007-08). Patten went to training camp with Cleveland in 2009 but was waived prior to the start of the regular season and spent the year out of football.
The 5-foot-10 inch, 190-pound wide receiver originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent for the New York Giants in 1997. Patten has played in 147 regular-season games with 73 starts and has recorded 324 receptions for 4,715 yards with 24 touchdowns. He has also returned 111 kicks for 2,273 yards with one touchdown.
