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Steelers Activate RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson

The Pittsburgh Steelers get their veteran kick returner back before the regular season.

Noah Strackbein

Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84) run in the open field against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84) run in the open field against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting one of their running backs and kick return specialists back on the roster, activating Cordarrelle Patterson from the Non-Football Injury List list after he passed his physical, according to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson.

Patterson started training camp on the injured list while dealing with a hamstring issue. He was limited throughout Organized Team Activities and minicamp and has yet to participate at Saint Vincent College. But with the preseason starting, the All-Pro kick returner will be back on the field and begin preparing for the regular season.

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.

The Steelers are still waiting for the return of defensive tackle Dean Lowry and inside linebacker Cole Holcomb. Holcomb has no timeline for return and speculation has started to whether or not he'll play during the 2024 season after suffering a knee injury last year. As for Lowry, he's expected to return before the regular season and is also dealing with a groin injury. He has been seen working on the sideline with trainers, the same with Patterson.

The Steelers have not announced the news of Patterson's return yet, but will be expected to when they return to practice. With Patterson passing his physical on the same day as their preseason opener, they will likely wait until the next day or when they return to training camp.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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