Cordarrelle Patterson's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson handled three rushing attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Patterson worked with Pittsburgh's first-team offense as a complement to Najee Harris with Jaylen Warren (hamstring) sidelined. He exploded for a 31-yard score on the Steelers' opening drive and earned one touch on their second possession. Given Patterson's history with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and the lack of proven receiving options on Pittsburgh's offense, the 33-year-old could see utilization in the regular season, especially if Warren misses time. He is best left undrafted in most fantasy leagues, however.

The Pittsburgh Steelers activated running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (undisclosed) from the Non-Football Injury list on Friday after he passed a physical. Patterson will now be able to join the rest of his teammates in practice at training camp. The 33-year-old followed Arthur Smith from Atlanta to Pittsburgh and will most likely serve as the team's kick returner on special teams. The former 29th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013 out of Tennessee produced a career-high 695 rushing yards and eight touchdowns for the Falcons in 2022 but fell back to Earth big time in 2023, seeing 50 carries for only 181 yards. In Pittsburgh's backfield, he's third on the depth chart behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren and will most likely be used sparingly as more of a gadget player when he's not returning kicks.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back/returner Cordarrelle Patterson (hamstring) was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list on Wednesday. Patterson suffered the injury during offseason training and is not cleared to practice. The injury is thought to be day-to-day, but the team placed him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list until he can return to the team. Patterson has familiarity with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and is likely to see the bulk of his work in the return game with some utilization in the running game as depth behind incumbent starters Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Patterson is best left undrafted in fantasy leagues but could find more work if an injury happened to either Harris or Warren.

It's highly probable that the Pittsburgh Steelers will label Cordarrelle Patterson as the Joker in his first year with the team. "Running back, kick returner, tackle, tight end I can do it all. Whatever they need me to do," Patterson said last month. The 33-year-old veteran floated from the RB room to the receiver room last year with the Atlanta Falcons under head coach Arthur Smith, who is now Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator. Patterson fully embraced the role in 2023 and was signed by the Steelers just hours after the NFL passed a new kickoff rule. He has returned 273 kicks in his career with an NFL-record nine touchdowns. Patterson was primarily a RB last year in Atlanta but had just 181 rushing yards and no TDs on 50 carries after posting a career-high 695 rushing yards in 2022. Pittsburgh hasn't offered clues on how they plan to use Patterson, but he'll most likely be used on kickoffs and as a depth option for the backfield.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back/wide receiver/return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson signed a two-year, $6 million contract this offseason to join the team, almost immediately after the new kickoff rules were announced. Patterson, the NFL's all-time leader in kickoff return touchdowns (nine), was surely signed to help in that area, but Mark Kaboly of the Athletic believes he is likely to have a role on offense, too. "It's hard to imagine the Steelers gave him $6 million over two years to be only a kick returner," Kaboly wrote. "An accomplished receiver and running back over his career, Patterson will likely have a bigger role than being a specialist." The 33-year-old enjoyed his best season under current Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith when the two were in Atlanta in 2021. Patterson rushed 153 times for 618 yards and caught 52 passes for 548 yards and scored 11 total touchdowns. Pittsburgh has a strong running back duo in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris, but its wide receiver group behind George Pickens looks weak on paper. That said, don't be surprised if Patterson is mixed in along with Van Jefferson and third-round rookie Roman Wilson. It'd be a surprise the 2013 first-round pick is a weekly fantasy contributor, but he might be a bargain-bin DFS play with upside in 2024.