Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson is finally off the non-football injured list and ready to get to work. Although he doesn’t sound thrilled about playing in the preseason, he’s fired up for the real thing. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he repeatedly said he can’t wait for the regular season.
But what awaits him there? In fact, we won’t know much about it, as the Steelers will soon be leaving Saint Vincent College, where they will resume practices without an audience. Patterson has only just returned and has already completed a few offensive drills – a tantalizing glimpse of the possibilities.
Patterson reiterated that the Steelers signing had a lot to do with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He played the last three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons under Smith as his head coach. “I trust and believe in his plan,” he said via the team’s website.
When asked about his role, Smith said of Patterson, “He’s played a lot of positions, including in my time with him,” according to a transcript from the Steelers’ press department. “He brings a different element, started his career as a wide receiver and played running back for us.” Smith said Patterson is “just another weapon we have on offense.”
Patterson himself stated, “I’m suited for any role. Put me on a football field and I’ll find a way.” And he’s been finding his way in one way or another for 12 years now. Over the course of his career, he has amassed 2,511 rushing yards, 2,795 receiving yards and 7,998 return yards. He has scored 47 touchdowns in his career on both offense and special teams.
Special teams, of course, is the main reason the Steelers signed Cordarrelle Patterson. They did so shortly after the league announced major kickoff changes because they believed he would give them an advantage. They haven’t really had a chance to see him in that role yet, but that will come.
As for his potential offensive role, we’ll have to wait and see. The Steelers used Patterson in a variety of ways in practice yesterday, albeit in a somewhat limited capacity. For example, he lined up wide outside in the opening “Seven Shots” practice to take advantage of an end-around for a point.
As I alluded to earlier, we won’t see what the Steelers plan to do with Patterson until the season. He’s missed almost all of the open practices and I don’t know how much he’ll play in the preseason. Do they plan to make him that additional weapon that Smith alluded to?
The Steelers have a strong running back duo in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but Patterson has an interesting quirk. He has a background as a wide receiver and maintains his speed even at 33. I think 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.
