If Cordarrelle Patterson has an offensive role this season, it will disrupt the Pittsburgh Steelers’ work distribution. Last season, for example, running backs other than Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren functionally did not exist. Anthony McFarland Jr. played a tad bit in the opener, with two touches, but that’s the extent of it.
The reality is the Steelers struggled to find enough touches just for Harris and Warren over the past two years. How can they squeeze in touches for Patterson on top of that? Well, not having Matt Canada being the one trying to figure that out might help. And running backs coach Eddie Faulkner doesn’t sound like he views him as just a kick returner.
“We can use him in a lot of different ways, and I am sure we will dabble in that when we get going”, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic quotes Faulkner as saying about Patterson. “He sits in my room, and the running back position encompasses all things, both in the backfield and out of the backfield, so it is probably the best room to be in right now”.
The thing is, the Steelers hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, and Smith is the man responsible for revitalizing Patterson’s career as an offensive contributor. While he did not initiate the change, he led to Patterson’s reinvention as a running back.
Drafted in the first round in 2013, Cordarrelle Patterson began life in the NFL as a wide receiver. His career never really took off on offense, though, and his playing time began to dwindle. Under Smith in Atlanta, he turned into an effective rotational running back.
Patterson is one of just 13 players in NFL history with at least 2,50 yards rushing, receiving, and returning. He is still fast, considering he came into the league with a step or two to lose, and he has play strength.
Even at age 33, Patterson could still be an effective offensive weapon. The Steelers are paying him $6 million over two years, which is a decent sum “just” to return kicks. Even under the new kick return roles, that’s still a limited role in the game.
But at the end of the day, where are the Steelers going to fit him? They already have Warren and Harris, plus George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. At least one other wide receiver is going to step up, and you have Connor Heyward as a versatile piece.
It falls upon Arthur Smith to figure out whether Cordarrelle Patterson needs a considerable offensive role. Last year, he played less in Smith’s offense than he did the year before—though the Falcons drafted Bijan Robinson.
How much will the Steelers “dabble” with Patterson on offense, as Faulkner mentions? He is an intriguing piece, given his background as both a running back and a wide receiver. At his size, you can line him up just about anywhere at the skill positions. In theory, he presents a matchup nightmare. But there is also a reason he is only getting $3 million a year, and a reason we’re debating offensive touches. If he was as good as he looked, he would be a cheat code.
