RB Cordarrelle Patterson had his best game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, running four times for 33 yards and catching three passes for 15 yards. With Jaylen Warren potentially sidelined by a knee injury, Patterson could have a bigger role in Pittsburgh’s offense this week.
“CP a future Hall of Famer, so he works in any offense. So it’s not more than what you do for me, it’s just him as a player. He’s just a good player. So what he brings to the table, something obviously people have to key in on,” Steelers RB Najee Harris said via Chris Adamski of TribLive on Twitter.
While Patterson’s resume as a returner is what could get him into the Hall of Fame, he’s accomplished as a running back and receiver as well. For his career, Patterson holds the NFL record for kick-return touchdowns with nine. He also has 524 carries for 2,560 yards and 22 touchdowns and 301 receptions for 2,810 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He’s a jack of all trades, and Pittsburgh will use him both as a running back and as a receiver. He also has familiarity playing under Arthur Smith, as he played for Smith with the Falcons from 2021-2023 before signing with the Steelers this offseason. His versatility is a weapon, and the Steelers know as much, which is why they’ve moved him around a little bit on offense. It’s also what makes him valuable to pretty much any team, as Patterson can play any role that’s asked of him.
Even though he’s 33 years old, Patterson still has solid burst and has looked good when he’s been on the field for the Steelers. With Warren potentially out, he might be asked to do more to help out Harris, as he did in the fourth quarter against the Chargers when Warren was pulled from the game. While his skill set is useful for pretty much anyone, his familiarity with Smith and his offense should make him particularly useful to the Steelers. Smith knows everything he’s capable of and how to best utilize him at this point in his career.
While the thought when signing Patterson was that he would elevate the team’s return game, particularly with the new hybrid kickoff rule, he’s proven to be an offensive contributor as well. If that can continue, Patterson may wind up being one of the more underrated signings of the offseason.
