Former Falcons 'joker' reunites with Arthur Smith in NFL free agency

The move comes in light of the new kickoff rule change on Tuesday which is designed to increase the number of kickoff returns per game in a safer way. 

Patterson is one of the best returners in the game with 7,989 kick return yards and nine touchdowns.

He's also valuable in the backfield and in the passing game, which is why Smith referred to him as the team's "joker" in Atlanta because of the multiple ways he could be utilized. 

In three seasons under Smith, Patterson compiled 1,494 rushing yards and 708 receiving yards with 20 total touchdowns. 

Unfortunately last season, Patterson found himself buried on the Falcons' depth chart behind rookie star running back Bijan Robinson and backup Tyler Allegier, leaving him to post the lowest numbers of his career since 2019. 

However, he isn't too far removed from his impressive 2022 campaign where he rushed for 695 yards and eight touchdowns on 144 carries. 

It's worth mentioning that Patterson is an exceptional human being with great leadership skills and is loved by fans wherever he goes, so the Steelers are getting a good one.