Later this summer, former Chicago Bears kick and punt returner Devin Hester will be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hester also played cornerback, but he’s receiving arguably the highest NFL honor due to his outstanding special teams play. Hester set an NFL record by returning 19 combined kick and punt returns for touchdowns in his 11-year career. It’s inarguable that he’s the best specialist of all time.
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The second player on that list is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In late March, the Pittsburgh Steelers inked Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year deal worth $6 million. Patterson led the NFL in return yardage in both 2019 and 2020, is a 4x first-team All-Pro, and a member of the 2010’s All-Decade team. His accolades speak for themselves.
The signing is a logical match due to the NFL’s adoption of a modified kickoff return format, which will increase players’ incentive to take the ball out of the endzone. Steelers GM Omar Khan pounced at the opportunity to sign Patterson, who owns the most kickoff return touchdowns in NFL history with nine.
It’s also important to note that Patterson followed Arthur Smith, former Atlanta Falcons Head Coach turned Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator. Patterson routinely worked as both a returner and a running back for Smith, rushing for 1,494 yards and averaging over four yards per carry over the past three years.
Patterson is now 33 years old. He’s on the back nine of his career, and his offensive role declined significantly in 2023. He caught only nine passes for 38 yards and rushed for 181 yards on 50 attempts. Blah.
With plenty of scuttlebutt surrounding Najee Harris’ future following a decline of his fifth-year option, there has been chatter surrounding Patterson’s ability to step in as a potential second running back in 2025. I don’t think Patterson is a short or long-term answer at running back. I wouldn’t anticipate him contributing much to that facet this season, considering Harris will still be the bell cow, and Jaylen Warren will see an uptick in snaps.
That doesn’t mean Patterson won’t be a significant contributor on special teams. But he finished just 12th among kick returners with at least eight returns last season, averaging 21.2 yards.
I’m not here to bash Patterson, and for $3 million per year, he won’t break the bank if he doesn’t pan out. However, his name is probably bigger than his game at this stage in his career. I think expectations should be tempered when it comes to his usage and how impactful he will be for the Steelers in 2024 - and beyond.
