Buy or Sell: The Steelers should give Cordarrelle Patterson a chance to keep his job.
Explanation: If the Steelers planned to release Cordarrelle Patterson, one might think they would have done so already. They have already made a few moves, including releasing veteran DT Montravius Adams. While Patterson had a rough year as a kicker returner last season, everybody was adjusting to new rules. And as a longtime kick returner, he had more to adjust to than most.
Buy:
Although Cordarrelle Patterson basically flopped as the Steelers’ return man in 2024, they don’t have any other great options. They have some candidates, like RB Kenneth Gainwell and rookie CB Donte Kent, but why decide now? It’s not like Patterson has a roster bonus accruing before the start of the regular season.
Really, releasing Patterson now might be the Steelers doing him a favor. Jaylen Warren and rookie Kaleb Johnson are obviously making the team, and they signed Gainwell this offseason. That’s already three backs, and they rarely keep four.
Considering the Steelers don’t need any cap space right now, and the fact that Cordarrelle Patterson isn’t even set to earn that much over displacement, it seems to me the best argument in favor of releasing him without a chance to keep his job is to be nice. Releasing him now would maximize his chance of finding an opportunity with another team.
Sell:
Well, releasing Patterson as a favor to him isn’t a bad argument, but it’s not this argument. This is about whether the Steelers should let him fight to keep his job, and really, there’s no reason to. He didn’t just look like somebody struggling to adapt to a rule change. He looked like a player who is too old and slow to continue doing what made him special.
The evaluation is already in the bag, and the Steelers already have his replacements, so it makes sense to rip the Band-Aid off now and release Cordarrelle Patterson. They signed him thinking they were slick, and the plan didn’t work. Take the L and move on, for both parties. Sign another veteran with return experience and give him the opportunity to compete for the job. They should have signed Devin Duvernay when they had the chance.
The Steelers are building toward the 2025 season, following yet another disappointing year. While they reached the playoffs, they once again lost authoritatively in the first round. They are facing questions, both publicly, and perhaps privately as well. Questions about The Standard, and what the Steelers stand for.
The rookie class of a year ago was successful, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2025. And they need everyone healthy to do it, not an insignificant consideration. They needed a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2025 NFL draft yet again.
These sorts of uncertainties are what we will address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, we will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
