The Pittsburgh Steelers, and the rest of the NFL, are being forced to get acclimated to the new league kickoff rules, and no one really knows what to expect when the preseason rolls around. For the Steelers, they had the foresight to bring in talent who could help with the new rules, and that talent would be one of the best return man in the past two decades in Cordarrelle Patterson.

For Patterson, he is not just happy to be a member of the Steelers, but is excited about how such a big part of his game could return in 2024. The key is to try and get the Steelers a head start and make dynamic plays before the rest of the league catches up.

“Hopefully,” said Patterson, who has averaged 29.3 yards per kick return in his career. “It can work in everyone’s favor. With this unit we’ve got, we’ve got to take advantage of this season. It’s going to be new to everybody this year, so we’ve just got to figure it out and get a head start on everybody.”

The new rule has given Patterson a jolt of excitement and enthusiasm as he enters another year in the NFL. While the new rule will be different, he’s hopeful it can rejuvenate his career.

“As soon as the rule happened, it was exciting for me,” Patterson said. “It’s going to be very different. But we’ve been planning it for a while, so hopefully we get a jump start on it.”

While many pundits have pointed to Patterson joining the Steelers and why they brought him in, it would be foolish not to see him as a multi-faceted weapon in Arthur Smith’s offense. After all, Patterson played for Smith while in Atlanta. Patterson knows the offense, and is ready to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

“It’s something I know,” Patterson said of Smith’s offense. “I’ve been in it for three years, going on four years. When Arthur talked to me this offseason about joining, it was a no-brainer for me. I’m glad to be here, excited. Whatever I need to do to help this team win games, I’m going to do.”

How can Patterson impact the game? He can do so in the return game, running the ball, and even catching the ball. When you talk about the Swiss Army knife style players, Patterson would certainly fall into that category. Now the hope is the Steelers can utilize his skill set both on special teams and in the regular offense.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason and get ready for training camp.