The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the past couple weeks of NFL free agency attempting to find more weapons for new quarterback Russell Wilson on offense.
That includes being linked to one of the better young receivers in the NFL on the trade block. While nothing has come to fruition on that end, the Steelers have added an All-Pro weapon on offense and special teams.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports that Pittsburgh has signed running back and returner Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year contract worth $6 million.
Patterson, 33, boasts the NFL record with nine kickoff returns for touchdowns during his career. That is no small thing with the league having altered its kickoff rules as its annual meetings this week.
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What the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting in Cordarrelle Patterson
A first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, Patterson has played multiple positions throughout his career.
He started as a wide receiver with Minnesota, recording 132 receptions for 1,316 yards in four seasons. Patterson looked like a bust at that point.
After also playing wide receiver in stops with the then-Oakland Raiders (2017), New England Patriots (2018) and Chicago Bears (2019-20), he transitioned to running back with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
That’s when Patterson broke out on the offensive side of the ball. He tallied 1,983 total yards and 19 touchdowns at a clip of 5.4 yards per touch in 2021 and 2022 before taking a back seat to Bijan Robinson this past season.
Patterson’s dual-threat ability could very well loom large for Pittsburgh. He’ll likely take third-down reps behind Najee Harris in the backfield. But we wouldn’t be surprised if Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith uses him in several different ways. Remember, Smith was Patterson’s head coach over the past three seasons in Atlanta.