For the first time in his career, Najee Harris has a credible veteran running back in the room. It’s a significant change of pace for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lead back and one he welcomes. While Cordarrelle Patterson’s presence in no way threatens his status, he appreciates the dynamic his experience provides.
“I love ‘CP’”, Harris said of Patterson via Chris Adamski for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “That’s my guy”. He added that he’s not sure if he should call him an uncle or not, but “It’s good to have a veteran in the room”.
The Steelers drafted Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. A year earlier, they had James Conner, Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Samuels, and Anthony McFarland Jr. in the running back room, but the room looked very different just one year later.
While the Steelers allowed Conner to leave in free agency, Snell and McFarland remained to some extent. Snell had virtually no offensive role, limited to special teams, McFarland largely on the practice squad. Samuels logged three games that year with the Texans, all giving way to Harris.
That season, Najee Harris recorded 307 rushing attempts with 74 catches. Snell, McFarland, and Kalen Ballage combined for 35 rushing attempts the entire season. Suddenly, it was the rookie and everyone else, without anybody to turn to. Now, in his fourth season, he has an experienced player in Cordarrelle Patterson.
“To have a veteran in the room who played a lot of years and had success and might go to the Hall of Fame, to have that presence in the room is helpful to me personally”, Harris said of Patterson. “Just him being there, I think that was a big pickup this year”.
While the Steelers signed Cordarrelle Patterson in response to the new kickoff rule, that doesn’t mean it is all he will be doing. After spending time on the Non-Football Injury List to open camp, they clearly got him more involved. Mike Tomlin reportedly told him he wants to get all the football that’s left in him.
Still, with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren ahead of him, it’s hard to count on too many snaps for Patterson. Harris and Warren are volume runners, and Patterson saw diminished touches even last year. While Arthur Smith is responsible for converting him into a running back full-time, he only afforded Patterson 50 carries.
One hopes that the Steelers don’t need to see Patterson run the ball too often because that means Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are doing their jobs. Or perhaps we do want to see him because that could mean they are doing their jobs very well. Run up the score, pound the rock, and then let the old veteran close out the game.
Regardless of the workload questions, though, Harris views Patterson as a resource on a personal and professional level. While Patterson didn’t spend his whole career playing running back, he is the first true veteran in that room since the Steelers drafted him, no longer tasked with finding his way on his own.
