Player
Cordarrelle Patterson
RB/Returner
A balanced split signals a player who was never a scheme novelty — he was schemed at both ways for a full decade. For defenses, that ambiguity costs a coverage assignment every time he lines up.
Patterson's career is almost perfectly split — 2,646 rush yards vs 2,875 receiving yards. No other RB with 500+ carries since 2013 comes close to that equilibrium.
AnomalyRBs with most balanced career rush/receiving split (1,500+ in each, since 2013)
| Player | Rush Yds | Rec Yds | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 2,646 | 2,875 | 229 |
| Rex Burkhead | 1,908 | 1,534 | 374 |
| Austin Ekeler | 4,765 | 4,288 | 477 |
| Ameer Abdullah | 2,054 | 1,567 | 487 |
| Darren Sproles | 1,551 | 2,063 | 512 |
Why it matters. A balanced split signals a player who was never a scheme novelty — he was schemed at both ways for a full decade. For defenses, that ambiguity costs a coverage assignment every time he lines up.
Among 500+ carry RBs since 2013, Patterson ranks 8th in receiving yards — ahead of Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott.
RareReceiving yards leaders — RBs with 500+ career carries since 2013
| Player | Carries | Rec Yds |
|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | 1,789 | 5,809 |
| Alvin Kamara | 1,767 | 5,222 |
| Austin Ekeler | 1,127 | 4,413 |
| Le'Veon Bell | 1,678 | 3,388 |
| Giovani Bernard | 971 | 3,149 |
| Duke Johnson | 536 | 2,923 |
| David Johnson | 1,037 | 2,916 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 550 | 2,907 |
| Aaron Jones | 1,681 | 2,897 |
| Saquon Barkley | 1,961 | 2,828 |
Why it matters. Receiving production with a thin carry volume means he was targeted as a pass weapon in his own right, not just as a checkdown dump-off — the hallmark of a true dual-threat who defenses must account for on every down.
From 2013–2020 Patterson averaged just 1.5 carries per game. In 2021 (age 30) he suddenly became a feature back — 9.6 CPG, 6 rush TDs.
AnomalyPatterson carries per game — career arc
| Season | Team | Games | CPG | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2020 | MIN/LV/NE/CHI | (avg) | 1.5 | (sparse) |
| 2021 | ATL | 16 | 9.6 | 6 |
| 2022 | ATL | 13 | 11.1 | 8 |
| 2023 | ATL | 11 | 4.5 | 0 |
| 2024 | PIT | 12 | 2.7 | 0 |
Why it matters. A player who spent 8 years averaging 1.5 carries per game and then posted 9.6 CPG at age 30 exposes how differently coaches valued him — the same player, radically different deployment, instantly different output.
Patterson's 2022 ATL season (695 rush yards, 8 TDs) was actually better than his celebrated 2021 breakout — at age 31.
SplitPatterson best two seasons back-to-back
| Season | Age | Carries | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Rec Yds | Scrimmage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30 | 153 | 618 | 6 | 548 | 1,166 |
| 2022 | 31 | 144 | 695 | 8 | 122 | 817 |
Why it matters. Consecutive 600+ rush-yard, 6+ rush-TD seasons at ages 30–31 from a player who averaged 1.5 carries per game for most of his career makes this not just a comeback — it's a second career arc that most RBs don't get.
Among modern returners, Patterson and Devin Hester are tied with 4 First-Team All-Pro selections each — no other returner in the modern era has more than 1.
ComparisonModern returners — First-Team All-Pro selections
| Player | AP-1 Selections |
|---|---|
| Devin Hester | 4 (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012) |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 4 (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019) |
| Tyreek Hill (KR) | 1 |
| Jakeem Grant | 1 |
| Richie James | 1 |
Why it matters. Back-to-back generational returners with zero overlap in dominance means the position had a single elite player in it for roughly 14 consecutive years — a run of specialist excellence with no modern parallel.
In 2021 Patterson scored 11 scrimmage TDs (6 rush + 5 receiving) — one of only 22 player-seasons in the DB since 2013 where an RB crossed the 5-rush-TD and 5-rec-TD threshold in the same year.
MilestonePlayers with 5+ rush TDs AND 5+ receiving TDs in same season (since 2013)
| Player | Season | Rush TDs | Rec TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | 2023 | 14 | 7 |
| Alvin Kamara | 2020 | 16 | 5 |
| Austin Ekeler | 2021 | 12 | 8 |
| Jamaal Charles | 2013 | 12 | 7 |
| Todd Gurley | 2017 | 13 | 6 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 2021 | 6 | 5 |
Why it matters. The 5-and-5 threshold separates true dual-threat backs from role players — it means the offense is actively designing scoring plays for that player in both run and pass packages. Reaching it in your first feature-back season at 30 is rare to the point of being almost unique.
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