30 NFL stars who could retire after the 2024 season

21. Cordarrelle Patterson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Cordarrelle Patterson has had one of the more interesting careers since he was drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings had no idea how to use him. The Raiders didn’t fare much better, but the New England Patriots seemed to unlock a different player, and he’s been excelling ever since. He even took over as starting running back at some point for the Falcons. Then, they found a few players to replace him, and he was mostly a special teams player last season.

He’s still a very impactful special teamer, and with the new kickoff rules, it seems like it could be a huge advantage for a player like Patterson. That should point to the 33-year-old’s career extending, but when speed is such a huge part of your game, it’s hard to predict it will continue late into someone’s 30s.

Even the very best kick returners ever did not make it very late into their careers. Devin Hester, quite possibly the best kick returner of all time, did not make it past his 34-year-old season. Once the speed goes, a kick returner has very little value to the game. 

Patterson still seems fast, but he actually hasn’t been much of a returner. He only returned seven kicks last season. He had nine the year before. Now we’re going to pretend he’s automatically going to jump in and be dominant? It feels like a long shot, and the Steelers will likely use him as a situational weapon.