Much of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ summer has centred on making significant changes to an offensive unit that underperformed in 2023 compared to the talent on their roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of an offensive shift.
Although offensive improvements were evident in the post-Matt Canada era, the team still ranked 25th in the league in total offence and 28th in total points; unimpressive stat lines for a team with players like Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Pat Freiermuth, George Pickens, and Diontae, as well as a top ten offensive line in DVOA.
With all five starting linemen returning in 2024, the Steelers have traded previous first-round pick Kenny Pickett for former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson, signed former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields to back him up, and moved away wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
Whilst replacements for Johnson have seemed meagre so far, with Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins being the only wide receiver signings in free agency, it is widely expected that Pittsburgh will address this position in the upcoming draft, where the Steelers have a spectacular record of drafting receivers.
Cordarrelle Patterson was once the most feared kick returner in sport, having made the Pro Bowl four times and been named to the All-Pro team seven times before winning Super Bowl LIII with the New England Patriots in 2019.
In fact, many consider him to be the most notorious kick returner in the game’s history, if not Devin Hester, and even at 33, he appears to still have a lot to offer on offence and special teams.
Cordarrelle Patterson: A True Dual-Phase Threat.
Even though former Atlanta Falcons head coach, now Steelers offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, got the most out of Patterson on the offensive side of the ball, producing his best rushing/receiving career yards total back in 2021 with 1166 total offensive yards, it seems like an interesting “coincidence” that Patterson was signed just one day after the NFL amended its kickoff rules to push back the starting line for a touchback to the 30 yard line, essentially re-incentivizing kickoff returns after a lull in 2023.
However, it is safe to say that Arthur Smith will likely want to utilize the former All-Pro in both the running and receiving game, where he has had notorious success with him in the past, perhaps pairing him with unique quarterback athlete, Justin Fields, in sub-packages and trick plays.
If the Steelers make the necessary acquisitions, via draft or trade, at the wide receiver position prior to the start of the season, this could be quite the powerhouse offense – even by AFC standards.
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