Pittsburgh Steelers RB Cordarrelle Patterson is finally off the Non-Football Injury List and ready to get to work. While he doesn’t sound overly enthusiastic about playing in the preseason, he is fired up for the real thing. Repeatedly when speaking to reporters on Sunday, he said he can’t wait for the regular season.
But what awaits him there? The reality is we’re not going to find out very much because the Steelers will soon leave Saint Vincent College, where they will resume practices closed to the public. Patterson only just returned, getting a few reps on offense, a tantalizing glimpse of the possibilities.
Patterson reiterated that signing with the Steelers had a lot to do with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He played under Smith as his head coach the past three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. “I trust and believe in his plan”, he said, via the team’s website.
Asked about his role, Smith said of Patterson, “He’s played a lot of positions, even in my history with him”, via transcript provided by the Steelers’ media relations department. “He adds a different element, starting his career as a wideout, played running back for us”. Smith said that Patterson is “just another weapon we have on offense”.
As for himself, Patterson declared, “I fit any role. Put me on a football field and I’ll find a way”. And he has been finding his way, one way or another, for going on 12 years. Over his career, he has 2,511 rushing yards, 2,795 receiving yards, and 7,998 return yards. He has 47 career touchdowns on both offense and special teams.
Special teams, of course, is the principal reasons the Steelers signed Cordarrelle Patterson. They did so shortly after the league announced major changes to the kickoff, believing he would give them an advantage. So far, they haven’t really gotten the chance to look at him in that role, but that will come.
As for his potential offensive role, we will have to see. The Steelers used Patterson in a variety of ways in practice yesterday, albeit in a somewhat limited capacity. He lined up wide to take an end-around for a score in the opening Seven Shots practice, for example.
As I alluded to, we are not going to see what the Steelers’ plans are for Patterson until the season. He missed nearly all of the open practices, and I don’t know how much he will play in the preseason. Do they plan for him to be this other weapon that Smith referenced?
The Steelers have a stout running back duo in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but Patterson offers an interesting wrinkle. He has that background as a wide receiver, and even at 33 retains his speed. I do think that he can be an asset on offense, and Smith showed in Atlanta that he knows how to use him. It’s just a matter of finding ways to get him on the field—easier said than done in this running back room.
