Minnesota Vikings rookie wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson was named to another team filled with superstars on Monday.
The Pro Football Writers Association named Patterson to the All-NFL and All-NFC teams, as noted by the Star Tribune. He made the team as the best kick returner in the league. No other Vikings were named to the teams – not even running back Adrian Peterson.
Patterson led the NFL in kickoff return average (32.4 yards per return) while taking two kicks back for touchdowns.
Peterson’s absence isn’t a huge surprise considering he finished with 1,266 rushing yards – the second lowest total of his career. He rushed for 970 yards when his 2011 season was cut short on Christmas Eve by a torn ACL. Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles, Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy and Matt Forte of the Bears were voted on by the writers instead.
Patterson’s accolades have piled up since the Vikings closed out a disappointing 5-10-1 season. He was named to the Pro Bowl and voted onto the Associated Press All-Pro First-Team. In December, he joined Peterson, Percy Harvin and Randy Moss as the only players in Vikings history to win an NFL Offensive Player of the Month award.
The only award he has yet to win is Rookie of the Year, which he is one of five finalists for. Fans can vote for Patterson at NFL.com.
