Running back Patrick Taylor has had an on again-off again relationship with the Green Bay Packers.
He first signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has seen stints on the active/non-football injury list, the reserve/non-football injury list, the practice squad and the active roster. He has also been released by the Packers and served about a month on the practice squad of the New England Patriots.
What’s your recent timetable been like?
“Well, I was sitting in my apartment in Foxborough with my wife watching the game, and I saw Aaron (Jones) had went down and then Emanuel (Wilson) went down, and my agent had gave me a call. I didn’t pick up because I didn’t see it. He called my wife. She was sitting on the couch with me and she handed me the phone and said, ‘Hey, we’re going back to Green Bay,’ so I kind of figured that was the case. He called me at halftime, when the Packers were at halftime. Saw the guys went down, and I figured I would be back.”
Is there a mental overload having to learn two different offenses in a short period of time?
“In this profession, you get tugged and pulled each which way, but you gotta be ready for your opportunity. I’m a smart guy, so I’ve been in this offense for four years, so it’s not really hard for me to just pick it right back up. I think they’re running the same general stuff that they were before I left, so it’s pretty easy for me to pick it up.”
You still have all your Packers stuff?
“Some people have told me to toss it, but I decided to just hold onto it for the future.
“That’s for my kids or friends and family and stuff like that. It’s in the storage here in Green Bay, so I guess I’ll pull it back out.”
What is your role here now?
“I think it’s a big opportunity for me to put my talent on display. I just have to not put any added pressure on myself. I’ve been playing this game for a long time, and I have confidence in my ability and I believe the coaches have confidence in me to put me out there in critical situations and for me to do my job at a high level.”
What were your emotions coming back here?
“It was nice and exciting seeing everybody that I’ve been here with throughout my four years here, like when I walked through the locker room, seeing all the guys. First guy I saw was Jordan. He was in here. He looked at me and he was like, he knew I was coming back. Being able to just see all the guys, like Aaron and AJ (Dillon) and E and like all the defensive guys. They welcomed me back, so it was pretty cool.”
Were you expecting to be back?
“It was in the back of my mind. I was like, ‘I might be going back to Green Bay.’ I told my wife, ‘I might be going back to Green Bay, but we just got here,’ but she was extremely supportive through it all. She’s heading back here today. She packed up everything in the Foxborough apartment. My dog was up there, too. She shipped him off this morning, so it’s been a lot on her plate, and she’s definitely my rock, for sure.”
So, your stuff was still in storage here?
“Yeah, so like my wife, so Oct. 17th , Oct. 16th, I flew to Foxborough. The 17th I had a workout. The 18th I signed. During that time, my wife was packing up my house here and putting it in storage. She recently got to Foxborough last Tuesday. It’s crazy how it works out.”
What are you doing now in terms of living arrangements?
“I recently called movers. That’s who I was on the phone with not too long ago. After we get out of here around 3:15, 3:30, I’m going over to meet them at the U-Haul place to pick up my stuff and bring it back to my house here.”
Is it like riding a bike, easy to pick everything up again? Have you been in a meeting yet?
“Yeah. I’ve been in a meeting and everything. The terminology was just different in New England compared to here, so I guess I was able to decipher or clearly separate the two. Once I came here and started to hear the terminology again, it all came back. It was just a refresher.”
Like muscle memory?
“Yeah.”
Do you feel a sense of unfinished business coming back here?
“I would say yeah. I feel like I left on a bad note. I didn’t really leave. But I’m excited for the opportunity that I get here moving forward. I think, I always tell myself this: You’re just an opportunity away from being a force in this league. So, like I said, I don’t put any added pressure on myself. Just going out there and playing the game that I’ve been playing for 21 years and I’m going to have fun with it.”
What did AJ say to you?
“AJ texted me Sunday night and was like, ‘See you soon.’ That was pretty funny.”
Your opportunity here?
“I know opportunities are hard to come by in this league, but guys who work hard and show up on time and put the work in and always prepare like they’re playing, the opportunity is going to present itself and you’re going to perform well. I think that’s going to show. A lot of guys over the course of the league, guys who didn’t really get much of a chance or opportunity, they get that one opportunity, which they prepare for, and they’re ready for it.”
How tough is that to separate the hassles of life from football? You’ve got to move, and you’re also getting ready for a game.
“My faith plays a big part in that. I have extreme faith in God. I build my foundation in Christ, so in those chaos moments, I have joy in it, and I’m at peace. I’m not uptight or stressed out. I try to stay even-keeled through the highs and the lows. When I got cut, there were no lows. I was still high and confident in myself, and I caught on with the Patriots. I know I can play this game at a high level. During those chaos moments – moving and stuff, all that stuff’s going to get done – it’s just, I guess it’s kind of a headache a little bit on my wife, but she’s been handling it well.”
Second guess whether to come back? Or couldn’t turn it down?
“I think it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. It was tough leaving how I did. It was the opportunity to come back here and play the game that I love. So, it’s exciting to be back.”
Fair to say this was a business decision? Three guaranteed game checks?
“Absolutely. I think that’s a plus that goes with it, that I’m signing to a three-week deal to play well. Who knows what could happen? I’m optimistic about the opportunity that I’m given and I plan to showcase my ability.”
Can you step in wherever?
“Yeah. Whatever I’m asked to do for the team, I’ll do it. I want to be able to help the team win in every aspect that I can whether that’s on special teams, running the ball, catching the ball, pass protection.”
Surprised how fast Packers called you?
“I mean, I said it: ‘Hey, Lauren. We might be going back to the Packers,’ but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. Literally two minutes, three minutes after I said that, my agent called me and I looked at my wife. He called her. She said, ‘Hey, Chris is calling.’ I looked at her and then she was like, ‘Yeah, we’re probably going back to the Green Bay Packers.’”
Did they ask you to come back on practice squad after you got cut?
“No, they didn’t. I’d say it left a bad taste in my mouth, for sure, but I know out of everything, nobody owes you anything in this league no matter how hard you work, no matter all the things that you do. It’s a performance-based business. If you’re not playing well or you’re not helping the team, then they’ll get rid of you. It left a bad taste in my mouth, for sure, but I’m grateful that it happened. It gave me a different perspective of everything moving forward. But I am grateful for the opportunity to be back here and be back with my boys, and play with the Packer G.”
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