While the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Cordarrelle Patterson to return kicks, they can ask more of him. After all, he has done more, and he has done so for their offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. Patterson spent the past three seasons as a running back under Smith as head coach with the Atlanta Falcons. He knows why the Steelers brought him here, but he is ready for anything.
Of Arthur Smith’s offense, Patterson said, “It’s something I know”, via Dale Lolley writing for the team’s website. “I’ve been in it for three years, going on four years. When Arthur talked to me this offseason about joining, it was a no-brainer for me. I’m glad to be here, excited. Whatever I need to do to help this team win games, I’m going to do”.
Over three seasons in Atlanta, Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for 1,494 yards on 347 carries. He averaged 4.3 yards per attempt with 14 touchdowns. He had his best season in 2022, rushing for 695 yards on 144 attempts with eight touchdowns.
And it’s probably worth reminding that Patterson only converted to running back on a full-time basis in Atlanta. He came out of Tennessee in 2013 as a wide receiver, though he had always been a dual threat. To call him a running back, however, would be inaccurate up until recent years.
Still, the Steelers have Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren at running back already. Harris rushed for 1,035 yards and Warren 784 yards last season, the two combining for 404 rushing attempts. The Steelers only attempted 15 other non-quarterback rushes on the season, 11 of them by WR Calvin Austin III on end-arounds and jet sweeps.
In other words, it’s fair to wonder how Arthur Smith will find touches for Cordarrelle Patterson. After all, many already insist that the Steelers need to give Jaylen Warren more touches than they are now. Adding a third running back whom you need to feed makes that much more complicated. And how many rushing attempts can they reasonably stand to add this season? They already ranked in the top 10 in attempts last year.
But of course Smith knows how to use Patterson. He is the one who succeeded in fully converting him to the running back position, which helped to prolong his career. Think about it. Had he not stuck at running back, with the kickoff dying, Patterson could have fallen out of the league. Now he may or may not have an offensive role, but his role as a kick returner is now revived thanks to the new rules.
Speaking personally, I am very interested in seeing how the Steelers approach Patterson this year. I certainly think there is room to incorporate him into the offense, even if you use him little as a traditional running back. He can do virtually anything at the skill positions and defenses will have to account for him. Even at 33, you still have to respect his speed and shiftiness. And if you’re not careful, he’ll truck you, too.
