Over the past few weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been among the busiest teams in the NFL.
To address their problems at quarterback, they have already added two well-known players, and at linebacker, they have added an All-Pro from the previous campaign.
They also parted ways with a former Pro Bowl wide receiver and starting quarterback.
They made a few more moves on March 25 in an effort to further assemble their roster. They signed defensive end Dean Lowry, quarterback Kyle Allen, and wide receiver Quez Watkins.
They have since added a second veteran through free agency.
The Steelers are bringing in former Atlanta Falcons RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson on a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Patterson’s Versatility on Display for Falcons
Patterson was drafted late in the first round back in 2013 as a wide receiver.
Unfortunately, he never panned out at the position, but he has shown off plenty of other skills during his time in the NFL.
He put all of those skills on display over three years with the Falcons.
His biggest contribution in Atlanta was as a running back, which is a position he hadn’t played much in the NFL previously.
In his first season in Atlanta, he succeeded Mike Davis as the team’s starting quarterback, going on to rush for 618 yards and six touchdowns. For 548 yards and five touchdowns, Patterson also caught 52 passes.
Moreover, he brought back 18 kicks for 434 yards.
His most fruitful season to date was that one.
Next season, he was the team’s starting running back. Despite having to share the backfield with Tyler Allgeier, Patterson had a respectable season. He scored eight touchdowns and ran for a career-high 695 yards.
In addition, he added nine kick returns for 284 yards and a score.
After they selected Bijan Robinson in the draft this past season, he was largely sidelined in the offense, but he continued to play a part in the return game.
He will now be back with his former head coach in Atlanta, Arthur Smith, and the Steelers may be able to utilize his versatility once more.
His Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers got some solid production out of their kick returners in 2023.
As a team they averaged they averaged 23.5 yards per return, but the only player that returned a kick for them in 2023 who is still on the roster is George Pickens. They won’t want him taking on the injury risk of returning kicks in 2024.
