Cordarrelle Patterson entered training camp on the Steelers’ roster bubble. To little surprise, then, the veteran running back/returner has been let go. 
Patterson himself posted on X Monday that he has been released. He will now hit the open market with plenty of time remaining in the offseason to find a new opportunity. One year remained on Patterson’s contract, and this move will create $2.8MM in cap savings while generating $950K in dead money.
After three years with the Falcons, Patterson joined the Steelers last offseason. The 34-year-old followed Arthur Smith from Atlanta to Pittsburgh by doing so, giving the new offensive coordinator a familiar option to work with. Finding himself behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on the depth chart, Patterson only handled 32 carries on offense, though. His 11 kick returns also fell well short of his previous highs in that regard.
A four-time All-Pro based on his special teams abilities, Patterson has topped the NFL in yards per kick return on three occasions in his career. 2016 marked the most recent time that was the case, however, and the former first-rounder has not been a major contributor in the third phase since his final Bears season (2020). That campaign saw Patterson earn his fourth Pro Bowl nod.
Warren is still in place for the Steelers, a team which added Kaleb Johnson during the draft. Those two will handle backfield duties in 2025 and quite possibly beyond the coming season. Having made just 12 catches last year, Patterson’s absence will also not be expected to make a notable impact in Pittsburgh’s very different passing game. Teams around the league may see Patterson as a potential upgrade in the return game, but it will be interesting to see if a strong market emerges in light of his 2024 production.
The Steelers entered Monday with more than $17MM in cap space, but that figure will increase with Patterson no longer in the fold. Pittsburgh could look into further additions late in free agency while Patterson searches for his next NFL gig.