Eagles Patterson Has Brain Condition

Added on Aug 04, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

The luster of the Philadelphia Eagles free agent bounty has begun to wear off in recent days. First, a somewhat disgruntled Asante Samuel reported to camp unsure of his future with the team. Next, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin showed up after battling a mysterious illness that’s been described as mononucleosis. Then, yesterday, defensive tackle Mike Patterson suffered a seizure which has been diagnosed as a congenital brain condition.

Patterson collapsed during the morning session and lost consciousness. He was rushed to the hospital and subjected to a battery of tests to determine the cause of the seizure. Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder revealed earlier today that Patterson has a condition called arteriovenous malformation, or AVM.

Treatment for AVM, which is a “tangling of blood vessels near the skull,” includes radiation therapy or surgery. It’s not clear when Patterson will return to the field, but it’s possible he could miss the entire 2011 season. Further tests need to be done.

The 27-year-old Patterson is entering his seventh season with the Eagles. He’s played in all but one game during his career and recorded 297 tackles and 13 sacks. Known for being a solid run-stopper, Patterson, along with Antonio Dixon and new addition Cullen Jenkins, were supposed to form a fearsome trio of tackles in the Birds 4-3 alignment.

The Eagles are suddenly very thin at defensive tackle with Patterson out, Trevor Laws dealing with a hip flexor and Brodrick Bunkley gone after being traded to Denver. Derek Landri and Anthony Hargrove were signed to fill the void. Landri notched three sacks with the Panthers in 2010. Hargrove has split seven seasons between the Rams, Bills and Saints; he has 16.5 career sacks and was a member of the Super Bowl-winning Saints in 2009.

In addition to injury and illness woes, star wideout DeSean Jackson is still holding out for a new contract and there has been a revolving door at right tackle over the first week of practice. The Eagles added some talented names, but getting all of them on the same page in five weeks will prove to be a difficult task for Andy Reid and his coaching staff.

Source: NFL.com