When they’re all healthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers have quite a diverse, exciting backfield. Najee Harris had somewhat of a slow beginning to the season, but has really picked it up recently, with the Steelers’ Monday night win against the New York Giants being his third consecutive 100-yard performance on the ground. Behind him, the Steelers have two very solid backs in Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson.
However, that group has rarely been completely healthy. Patterson is unfortunately an example of that. The 33-year-old is in the midst of his first season with the Steelers. Unfortunately, he’s played in just four of the team’s eight games so far, hampered by an ankle injury. The veteran just hasn’t been healthy enough to make a huge impact on the field so far.
While Patterson hasn’t been on the field a ton, he’s still making an impact on his new team.
“He’s probably like the big dog in the room,” Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner said via Steelers.com. “As far as the players, they kind of gravitate to him. When he’s saying the things, and the right things you want to say as a coach, that’s gonna elevate the room. He’s been great in that regard, from a camaraderie standpoint.”
Compared to Harris and Warren, Patterson is certainly the veteran of the group. He entered the league back in 2013, with the 2024 season being his 12th NFL season. Since then, he’s been making his mark as a running back and receiver. Patterson has also been one of the best special teams players in the NFL.
For comparison, Warren is in just his third year in the league. Harris is in his fourth, just one-third of the time Patterson has been in the league. Patterson’s also bounced around a bit, with the Steelers being the sixth stop on his journey. With that in mind, he’s seen just about everything there is to see as an NFL player.
Most importantly, it’s very good news that Patterson is making such an impact in the locker room. Even though Cordarrelle Patterson hasn’t been on the field as much as he’d like, he’s still making the Steelers’ decision to sign him this past offseason look like a good one.
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