Jets' Dimitri Patterson suspended, says AWOL reports 'totally false'

New York Jets cornerback Dimitri Patterson denied reports that he went AWOL over the weekend after temporarily rejoining the team Monday.

"There's no need for concern," Patterson told USA TODAY Sports before practice. "The reports about me going AWOL are totally false. I have my reason for missing those days. I'm not going to go into specifics, but I've discussed those reasons with the people I need to discuss them with. But as far as going AWOL, no, that's totally false."

However later in the afternoon, the Jets suspended Patterson.

The following statement attributed to general manager John Idzik appeared on the team's Twitter account: "[Patterson] will be suspended indefinitely, and that will allow us to gather more information to what led to his behavior."

Patterson, 31, missed the team's game against the New York Giants on Friday, and team officials said the absence was "unexcused." His failure to show up for the game led to speculation he had grown frustrated with recent injuries.

But Patterson, a 10-year veteran, said that's not the case.

"I'm in a great mindset," he said. "I always was in a great mindset, and I always will be, and I love my life. So there's nothing that would cause me just to go AWOL, so those reports are totally false."

He declined to say whom he informed among Jets brass that he would be absent from the game.

"I can't really go into details about that," said Patterson. "But just know that I've been in the league for 10 years, and no one's just going to up and leave and just not tell anybody.

"But what I will say is I discussed those reasons with the people I need to discuss them with, and that's it. And my mind frame is in a great place, always has been and always will be.

"I don't know where this whole AWOL thing came from. And the media's really ... run with it for whatever reason."

Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes

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