Steelers’ former Pro Bowler gives concerning take on how his body feels heading into training camp
If you listen to NFL players who played before the 21st century, training camp used to be a time when you focused on getting in shape for the season. But times have changed, and showing up to camp in tip-top conditioning is required, as many teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, have conditioning tests before camp […]
If you listen to NFL players who played before the 21st century, training camp used to be a time when you focused on getting in shape for the season.
But times have changed, and showing up to camp in tip-top conditioning is required, as many teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, have conditioning tests before camp even begins.
But for recently acquired returner Cordarrelle Patterson, he's taking a page out of yesteryear, openly admitting that his body isn't a good spot right now.
Patterson Out of Shape
"I'm probably a two out of 10 right now, but when I get to camp, I'll be an eight out of 10. When camp's over, I'll be a 10 out of 10. How about that?" Patterson told Post-Gazette Sports at minicamp when asked about how his body feels.
Being candid is good until it isn't. To be fair to Patterson, he has over a month to get in the shape required for the rigors of NFL training camp, but a Pro Bowler, All-Pro, and 33-year-old veteran shouldn't be that far out of shape, and he shouldn't be admitting it publicly, even if it's obvious.
"He's not in the best shape right now, so what he was able to do in the spring, maybe there will be another level he finds next month in training camp," Post-Gazette's Brian Batko said on the Post Gazette's YouTube channel via the North Shore Drive podcast. "I mean, he looked like a tight end when we saw him here."
Patterson, who has familiarity with OC Arthur Smith dating back to their time together in Atlanta, truly is a Swiss Army Knife. He was drafted to play WR, saw immediate success as a returner, and put together a few solid years as a RB with the Falcons.
Notice that I never said tight end though. And other than Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers, I'm not sure any TEs could function as a returner.
So it's a bad look, no doubt about it. Even saying that he will jump from a 2/10 to an 8/10 before camp isn't great because once again, you're supposed to be at 100% heading into camp, not 80%.
But Patterson knows his body better than anyone else, so maybe it all works out exactly how he planned.
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