Steelers Activate Former All-Pro From Non-Football Injury List

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting one of their new offseason additions back before the regular season begins.

The Steelers were very active this offseason, bringing in a handful of impact players. Among the notable additions were Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on the offensive side while Donte Jackson and Patrick Queen entered the mix defensively.

The Steelers also signed former All-Pro and Pro Bowler Cordarrelle Patterson. The 33-year-old is entering his 12th season in the National Football League. The running back and kick returner is a former Super Bowl champion and most recently played for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.

Patterson has been listed on the Non-Football Injury List since the beginning of training camp with a hamstring injury. He has been limited throughout organized team activities and minicamp.

The Steelers will be getting their veteran back before the regular season as Patterson was activated off the injured list according to Sports Illustrated’s Noah Strackbein.

“But with the preseason starting, the All-Pro kick returner will be back on the field and begin preparing for the regular season,” Strackbein reported. “Patterson, 33, will compete with Calvin Austin and a few others for the team’s kick return role and also enter the competition for RB3 behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. La’Michael Perine is listed as the co-third stringer alongside Patterson on the team’s unofficial depth chart.”

“The former Atlanta Falcons star should be viewed as the favorite for both positions. With seven All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowls, he’s expected to help add a spark on special teams with the NFL’s new kickoff rules. He has 7,989 return yards and nine touchdowns in his career entering the 2024 season.”

Patterson is a special teams specialist who can handle a workload alongside Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. He’s just the spark that the Steelers need as they seek a deep playoff run this season.

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