The Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to reshape their roster throughout the 2025 offseason, and that has come with a lot of moves. Some players have been released and signed, and a big trade was even made in acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. There's absolutely been progress, but there is still a lot of work to do if Pittsburgh plans to be able to compete in the AFC during the 2025 season. The franchise needs to find a starting quarterback, while a variety of other moves need to be seen in order to restore some optimism in the fan base.
The Steelers have already parted ways with a few players by releasing Larry Ogunjobi and Preston Smith. Those were two expected cap casualties, as is Cordarrelle Patterson who is currently still on the roster. Nearly every fan expected Patterson to be gone by this point in the offseason. He missed a chunk of the 2024 season due to injury, and he was completely ineffective when returning kicks and struggled to contribute on the offensive side of the ball.
Insider Ray Fittipaldo was asked about this during his mailbag for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday, and he seems to be perplexed by the fact that Patterson is still on the roster.
"That's probably the most head-scratching development of the offseason," Fittipaldo said.
Patterson signed with the Steelers late in the 2024 offseason, and it was shortly after the new kickoff rules were announced by the NFL. The veteran has been known throughout his career as a kickoff return specialist, and he even holds the record for most kickoffs returned for a touchdown. He is likely a future Hall of Famer because of his production on special teams and offense combined, but he is not the player he used to be.
Patterson signed a two-year deal worth $6 million, and the organization could save $2.8 million by releasing the running back at any moment. It was obvious that Pittsburgh signed Patterson as a depth piece at running back and as a threat in special teams after the new rules were announced, but things did not go as planned. Patterson returned just 11 kicks and averaged under 22 yards per return. This was over five yards below the league average.
The veteran is no longer a threat on special teams, and the Steelers have two running backs ahead of him on the depth chart. The running back position is loaded in the 2025 NFL Draft, so there is no reason for Patterson to still be on the roster. He may still be on the roster to cover up Pittsburgh's intentions to attack the position in the draft, but that is far-fetched.
Steelers' Arthur Smith loves Cordarrelle Patterson
Patterson played under Smith while the two were together with the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons, and Patterson accounted for a lot of the offensive production for Smith while the coach got horrendous quarterback play. The veteran played a bit of running back and receiver, tallying 1,494 rushing yards, 708 receiving yards, and 20 total touchdowns on offense.
Both parties left Atlanta after 2023, and it can be assumed that Smith was a big advocate for Patterson joining the Steelers. The coordinator has a history with the player, and maybe that has something to do with Patterson's extended stay on the roster. Head coach Mike Tomlin also probably likes Patterson's football pedigree, which could be a reason he has stuck around. However, if the Steelers draft a running back at the end of April, Patterson should be gone.
