With March coming to an end and April on the horizon, many teams, including the Detroit Lions, are starting to turn their attention towards the 2026 NFL draft. This isn’t great news for several free agents still sitting on the open market, such as former Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick, who might be waiting closer towards the end of April to find their next opportunity.
The veteran WR spent this past season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who acquired Patrick in a trade at the end of the preseason. The trade didn’t come as a surprise, especially with the Lions taking Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 draft. Therefore, the Jaguars decided to take Patrick off Detroit’s hands.
However, after bouncing back in 2024 with the Lions, Patrick couldn’t recapture that magic in Jacksonville this past season, and one has to wonder if he’ll get another opportunity in the coming weeks.
Ex-Lions WR Tim Patrick Still Unemployed with March Wrapping Up
The 32-year-old Patrick had a disappointing 15 receptions (24 targets) for 187 yards and three touchdowns across 16 games with the Jaguars. The veteran wideout also played 336 snaps on offense. This was a far cry from what Patrick did in Detroit, where he started in nine games and played 641 offensive snaps.
Patrick became a fan favorite in the Motor City during the 2024 season, as he quietly developed into the Lions’ WR3. Detroit was able to get him on a cheap one-year deal after he had missed the previous two seasons due to a torn ACL and Achilles.
Before those debilitating injuries, Patrick was on the trajectory of becoming a solid WR2 with the Denver Broncos. Now, the veteran receiver was just fighting for an opportunity to prove himself again, which the Lions took him up on after the Broncos cut him at the end of the preseason.
Patrick started the 2024 season on the practice squad but was quickly elevated to the active roster a maximum of three times, which opened the door for him to stay. The veteran WR ran with the opportunity, racking up 33 receptions (44 targets) for 394 yards and three TDs.
Patrick also averaged 4.3 yards after the catch per reception per game – third-highest during his career. If the ex-Lions receiver could’ve had a similar stat line in Jacksonville, it could’ve helped him garner some more free agent interest.
Staring at an Uncertain Outlook
Instead, Patrick got surpassed in Jacksonville and became an afterthought. Now, some might wonder what the future holds for Patrick. Is he already “washed up” after a down year with the Jaguars? Or does Patrick have something left in the tank to be a contributor on a team that may need a veteran at the WR4/5 spot on the 53-man roster?
Those are the questions that Patrick and the rest of the league will answer in the coming weeks. If he hasn’t gotten signed now, the chances of it happening before the NFL draft are slim.
Spotrac projects his market value as a one-year, $3 million deal. He likely won’t get that amount, especially when factoring in that wide receivers like Christian Kirk and Darnell Mooney, who are younger and more productive than Patrick, only got one-year deals for $3 million.
It’s more likely that Patrick gets a deal for the league minimum, which will put the pressure on him to show that the ex-Lion can still compete and be a viable option on a team’s 53-man roster. If he squanders that opportunity, it might be time to start talking about whether he's still long for the NFL.