The Pittsburgh Steelers invested in Cordarrelle Patterson at $3 million per season, which is pricey for just a returner. That’s a good investment if he turns the new kickoff rules to their advantage, but what else can he contribute?
Perhaps not all that much, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette seems to believe. Or, he doesn’t believe that Patterson is the same player who came out of school primarily as a pass catcher. He has always remained an offensive contributor, though, even when his primary job is returning kicks.
Asked about Cordarrelle Patterson potentially easing the anxiety about the wide receiver room, Batko did not sound enthusiastic. “Eh, I think his receiving days are behind him now”, he said in his latest chat session. “Might be able to move around from the backfield to the slot or whatever but I don’t envision him being a true wideout or anything close to it”.
A first-round pick in 2013 by the Minnesota Vikings, Cordarrelle Patterson functioned as a wide receiver for eight years. It wasn’t until he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 that he truly converted to running back. Of course, the notable aspect there is that Arthur Smith, the Steelers’ new offensive coordinator, was his head coach there. And he is in Eddie Faulkner’s room with the running backs, anyway.
Patterson does have 298 career receptions for 2,795 yards and 12 touchdowns. Granted, that doesn’t sound like much for a “wide receiver” with over a decade of seasons under his belt. But he also has 514 rushing attempts for 2,511 yards and another 22 touchdowns. All told, he has 5,306 yards from scrimmage with 38 touchdowns.
On top of that, Cordarrelle Patterson is also one of history’s great kick returners with an NFL-record nine touchdowns. He has 7,989 kick return yards on 273 returns with a 29.3-yard career average. For his career, he has 13,313 all-purpose yards and 47 touchdowns.
In fact, Patterson owns the 14th-most all-purpose yards in NFL history among all players with at least 5,000 return yards. By the end of the 2025 season, he could become the 10th player in NFL history with 10,000-plus return yards. He already ranks ninth in kick return yards, though first place may be out of reach. Brian Mitchell recorded over 14,000 yards over a 14-year career.
The Steelers wanted to take advantage of the NFL’s innovative new kick return rules, designed to encourage more returns. Kick returns were dying out fast as new rules discouraged returns. Now the league is going for the opposite effect in a “safer” manner.
That is why they agreed to terms with Cordarrelle Patterson literally within hours of the new rule passing. The timing very heavily suggests that the Steelers view him as a kick returner first, and possibly nothing else second. Then again, Arthur Smith was already here when they signed him, and Patterson played running back for him.
And in their first season together, he actually had his best season as a pass catcher. During the 2021 season, Patterson rushed for 618 yards and six touchdowns on 153 carries. But he also caught 52 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns. All of those numbers represent career bests, either outright or tied (in the case of receptions).
So if anybody can get something out of him as a receiver, it’s Smith. Despite just 18 kick returns for 434 yards, Patterson even posted his second-best season for all-purpose yards that year.
