During a quick interview in the middle of Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Patterson explained exactly why he chose to sign with the Steelers, and it wasn't because of a reunion with his former head coach, Arthur Smith.
"Mike T. [Tomlin] has been around. He came to my Pro Day when I was coming out of college, so we had a connection for a very long time. This is the first time that I got the opportunity to play for him, so basically, it's a no-brainer. I heard a lot of great things about him. I just wanted to come myself and see what he's about."
Mike Tomlin is always praised as a player's coach that can motivate anyone, as well as a guy that can't have a losing season, of course. His reputation is well-known by everyone in the league, and Patterson wanted to see how much of it is true first-hand.
Besides Bill Belichick for a season, Patterson has not exactly had the best head coaches over his previous 11 seasons in the league. Before Smith, he had Matt Nagy with the Chicago Bears. Before Belichick, he was on some rough teams in Minnesota and Oakland. Tomlin is always hyped up to be an elite head coach, so it makes sense as to why Patterson would want to be a Steeler.
Patterson mentioned that Tomlin attended his Pro Day in 2013 with the Tennessee Volunteers, but the Steelers passed on him for Jarvis Jones. The Minnesota Vikings drafted him near the end of the first round, which was pretty risky for a one-year college receiver that was seen as more of a special teams option than a true offensive threat.
How Much Will The Steelers Benefit From Patterson's Game?
Patterson has nine touchdowns on kickoff returns over his career, although he only had one touchdown while he was with the Atlanta Falcons over the past three seasons. If the Steelers can adapt well to the new spring league-style kickoff rules, Patterson might be able to go back to his days of dominance with the Vikings, where he had five touchdowns on kickoff returns over his four-year stint.
Whenever Patterson does play on the offense, he is seen as a gadget player that can do a little bit of everything. He was drafted as a wide receiver, then the New England Patriots converted him into more of a running back. He was part of a great one-two punch with Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta's running back tandem, as he added an extra dimension to a quality rushing offense.
The Steelers already have an elite running back duo, but both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are thought of more as power-runners than pure speed guys. Patterson can bring that speed element to the Steelers' backfield, whether he's used as a conventional running back, a jet sweep option, or both. Of course, he will be a return man first, but if he wants to do his part to keep Tomlin's winning season streak alive, he will be more than happy to get a few snaps in on offense.
