Cordarrelle Patterson teases 'joker' role in the Steelers offense in 2024

Fans can expect one thing for sure from the Steelers in 2024: Their offensive play calling will be drastically different from Matt Canada's vanilla approach. Journalists and analysts have been advising fans to anticipate the unexpected in recent days.

Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on NFL Radio on SiriusXM told us how they expect offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to utilize the tight ends by potentially running a 12-personnel offense, which features one running back and two tight ends.

Then we heard a report from ESPN's Matt Fowler that he learned other teams around the NFL expect the Steelers to utilize Justin Fields in the red zone and different situations. The Steelers might use Fields similarly to Kordell Stewart during their 1995 Super Bowl run.

In a recent interview with Mark Kaboly from The Athletic, we learned that Arthur Smith intends to incorporate new elements into his offensive strategy. Specifically, he may be keen on utilizing Cordarrelle Patterson, who the Steelers signed at the beginning of free agency.

How Patterson will fit into Smith's Offense?

Initially, we all thought the Steelers signed Patterson mainly to use him as a kick returner, given the NFL's change in the kickoff rule, which could lead to more explosive kickoff returns in 2024. However, we have now learned that he may have involvement in the offense beyond the kicking game.

Per his interview with Kaboly, Patterson expects to play a "Joker" role in the offense. Patterson stated, "I can play it all. I know my role and what I can bring to this team. Whatever they need me to do, I am that guy."

In 2023, when Arthur Smith was the head coach of the Falcons, Cordarrelle Patterson was utilized in a similar capacity. He embraced the "Joker" role to the extent that he updated his Twitter profile to reflect this. He now intends to assume a similar role in Pittsburgh.

Given that Patterson played in Atlanta and Smith knows his capabilities, it's a no-brainer to at least develop a few plays using him as a running back, receiver, and special teams player. Remember that Patterson holds the NFL record for the most kickoff touchdown returns, with nine.

His addition to the team could even eliminate the need for the Steelers to trade for another wide receiver we hear so much about.

It's difficult to predict how much Patterson will be involved in the Steelers' offense. However, the fact that he might have a role beyond kick-returning shows that Arthur Smith is making a concerted effort to maximize the use of all the offensive players on the Steelers' team. Patterson could have a minor or major role, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him involved beyond kick-returning at some point.