Former Minnesota first-round draft pick Cordarrelle Patterson took to social media on Monday to play the role of NFL insider and reveal that he has been released by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Breaking news ❗❗❗ Pittsburgh Steelers release old washed up cordarrelle patterson on his day off!!!"
Patterson still had a year left on the two-year, $6 million deal he signed with the Steelers in 2024, and with his release, Pittsburgh has freed up $2.8 million in cap space. With the Steelers last year, he appeared in 13 games and finished with only 215 total yards and one touchdown on 44 total touches, in addition to averaging a single-season career-low of 21.8 yards per kickoff return.
Have we seen the last of former Minnesota Vikings WR Cordarelle Patterson in the NFL?
Believe it or not, but Patterson was in the middle of preparing for his 13th season in the NFL before Pittsburgh informed him of his release on Monday.
It doesn't seem that long ago that he was out on the field making defenders look silly as a rookie with the Vikings in 2013. Looking back at Patterson's entire pro football career, an argument can be made that his very first year with Minnesota is still the best single season he's ever had in the NFL.
As a rookie with the Vikings in 2013, he scored a total of nine touchdowns and gained 2020 all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving, returning). Patterson's performance during that season with Minnesota resulted in his first of four Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections in his career.
After parting with the Vikings in 2017, he went on to have stints with the Las Vegas Raiders (still the Oakland Raiders when he played for them), New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, and Steelers.
During the second half of his NFL career, he wound up being utilized as a running back more than a wide receiver, and he even scored a total of 14 rushing touchdowns as a member of the Falcons in 2021 and 2022.
Someone could still end up adding Patterson before the start of the 2025 campaign, but if we've already seen the last of him in the league, he'll forever be remembered as one of the most unique players to ever step onto an NFL field.