 He was surprisingly waived on September 15, 1987, after a Monday Night Football performance against the Chicago Bears where he had to leave the game in two occasions with leg cramps and his coverage was badly beaten by Willie Gault (it was later claimed that the night before he was out partying).After the players went on a strike on the third week of the 1987 season, those games were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players.Patterson was signed to be a part of the San Diego Chargers replacement team.