Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson was arrested early Saturday in Tennessee on a domestic assault charge, according to police records.
The 35-year-old was taken into custody by the Sevierville Police Department in Clover and booked into the Sevier County Jail before being released later that night at 10:15 p.m. TMZ Sports first reported the arrest. No further details about the incident have been released.
Patterson’s time with the Steelers was brief and limited. He signed a two-year contract in April 2024 and appeared in 13 games that season, primarily as a kick returner and occasional offensive contributor.
In those 13 games he returned 11 kickoffs for 240 yards, averaging 21.8 yards per return. On offense he rushed 32 times for 135 yards and caught 12 passes for 80 yards and one touchdown.
The Steelers released him in late July 2025, before the start of the regular season, with one year remaining on his deal. The move created roughly $2.8 million in salary-cap space.
The organization had hoped the veteran’s experience would stabilize a kick-return unit that had struggled in prior years. His production fell short of expectations, and the team moved on without him.
In Patterson’s absence during the 2025 season, running back Kenneth Gainwell handled the majority of kickoff returns. Gainwell finished with 26 returns for 633 yards, an average of 24.3 yards per attempt, and was later named the team’s MVP.
Coach Mike Tomlin had indicated before the 2025 season that the Steelers were not short on options at the position after Patterson’s departure. Gainwell and others filled the role without interruption.
Patterson entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. He later won Super Bowl LIII with the New England Patriots and earned four Pro Bowl selections and multiple All-Pro honors as a return specialist.
He holds the NFL record for most career kickoff-return touchdowns with nine and is a member of the league’s 2010s All-Decade Team. His 109-yard return in 2013 remains tied for the longest play in NFL history.
His most productive years came with the Atlanta Falcons, where he posted career highs of 52 receptions for 548 yards and five touchdowns in 2021 and 695 rushing yards with eight touchdowns in 2022.
The Steelers have not issued a statement regarding the arrest. Patterson has not been on an active roster since his release from Pittsburgh more than a year ago.
Any potential future interest from teams would face the usual league review process under the NFL’s personal-conduct policy. For now, the news stands as a development involving a former member of the roster who last played in black and gold during the 2024 season.
