Pittsburgh Steelers lose RB Cordarrelle Patterson to injury

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers are losing players left and right to the Indianapolis Colts. With several players going to the blue tent and losing lineman James Daniels, the team also lost one of its key running backs.

Return specialist and offensive weapon Cordarrelle Patterson suffered an injury in the Week 4 game against the Colts. At the start of the game he appeared to be the team’s best offensive player, but an injury forced him off the field and it is questionable whether he will return. It’s a difficult proposition for the Steelers, who have relied on him more and more each week this season.

This is Patterson’s first season with the Steelers, but his NFL resume is extensive. The 33-year-old is arguably one of the greatest kickoff returners of all time and has developed his game into a reliable RB and wide receiver in multiple sets. He has played in the league over the past 11 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons. Over his 12-year career, he has accumulated over 5,000 yards of offense, including nearly 3,000 through the air and over 2,400 on the ground.

Without Patterson, the already depleted running back room takes another hit. The team was already without starter Jaylen Warren this week after he struggled early in the season. Co-starter Najee Harris wore a sling for part of the week and is clearly not at 100% either. With Warren inactive, Aaron Shampklin received some snaps for the Steelers.

If Patterson is also going to miss time, the team will have to dig deeper into its running back reserves. It gets smaller and smaller with each passing week as the Steelers continue to battle injuries throughout the lineup.

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