New Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson asked for opinions on social media about what number he should wear during the 2024 season. Former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown obliged, telling Patterson in so many words not to wear No. 84.
Brown made it clear that if Patterson wears his customary No. 84 in Pittsburgh, fans won’t be thinking about him.
“Only 84 You would EVER C Patterson,” Brown quote tweeted to Patterson.
Brown wore No. 84 with the Steelers from 2010-18.
In addition to No. 84, Patterson is considering wearing No. 10, 13, 18 or 81 next season. X (formerly Twitter) users can vote in a poll to share with Patterson what number they think he should wear.
The poll will close late in the evening on April 3.
“Keep my number 84 Or switch to,” Patterson asked on X.
Keep my number 84 Or switch to
Cordarrelle Patterson Has Always Worn No. 84
It’s not clear if Patterson is considering a number change because of Brown. But if he does switch his number, it will be the first time in his career that he does.
Patterson wore No. 84 with the Minnesota Vikings, then Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons.
Brown may have become the greatest wide receiver in Steelers history while wearing No. 84. But it’s not like Patterson hasn’t excelled wearing the number too.
Patterson has made just as many first-team All-Pros as Brown did during his career. Patterson also won a Super Bowl with the Patriots as Brown did with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In his 11-year career, Patterson has returned 9 kickoffs for touchdowns, which is an NFL record. He’s led the league in kickoff return yardage twice and kickoff return touchdowns six times in his career.
Brown led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions twice. He also had a league-high 15 receiving touchdowns in 2018. Brown accomplished all of those feats with the Steelers.
Will Patterson Play Wide Receiver?
The Steelers signed Patterson the same day the NFL announced radical rule changes to the kickoff. That along with Patterson’s kickoff return touchdown record led many to argue that Patterson will mostly serve as a kickoff return specialist in Pittsburgh.
That could very well be the case. But Patterson can also run the ball and catch passes.
The Steelers possess Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the backfield. Therefore, Patterson will likely provide only depth for Pittsburgh’s running back room.
But the team lacks playmakers at receiver outside of George Pickens. While Pickens led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception last season, he is the only Steelers wideout currently on the roster who had more than 209 receiving yards in 2023.
With the Falcons the past three years, Patterson caught 82 passes for 708 yards and 6 touchdowns. He hauled in a lot of those receptions out of the backfield, but Patterson has the ability to line up in the slot or even out wide.
And he’s back with his former Falcons offensive play caller. Ex-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is Pittsburgh’s new offensive coordinator.
Last year, Smith listed Patterson as “a joker” on the team’s depth chart.
In a perfect world, the Steelers will add more capable receiving depth either through a blockbuster trade or the NFL draft. But even if the team adds another wideout this offseason, Patterson could be a solution for more depth.
