Though it was the team’s worst-kept secret, and honestly probably nothing the team even tried to hide, Mike Tomlin admitted Monday signing Cordarrelle Patterson was an immediate response to the new kickoff rule that dramatically shifts how the league’s inaugural play looks and functions.
During the team’s annual pre-draft presser, Tomlin said Patterson’s kick return resume was the reason why Pittsburgh signed him. But Tomlin also acknowledged there’s much to be learned about the rule change over the next season.
“I think we’re all speculating regarding what the impact of the new rule,” he said as carried by the team’s YouTube channel.