The Steelers are now in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College for the 2023 installment of training camp. They are coming off of a 9-8 season during which they broke in their new quarterback, Kenny Pickett, finishing the year strong by winning seven of their last nine but coming up short of the postseason.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year.
From the first day of training camp to the last, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered, including several battles for starting roles. Which veterans might be vulnerable to release? Who are the sleepers who will emerge in camp and make a run at ta roster spot? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: Were the scouting reports right about CB Cory Trice Jr.’s medicals?
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed yesterday that rookie CB Cory Trice Jr. suffered a “significant” knee injury in practice on Tuesday in a non-contact incident. That likely means a major tear of some kind, an ACL perhaps. He was already placed on the Reserve/Injured List, which at this time of year means he’s done for the season.
A tall, agile boundary defender at Purdue, Trice was perceived to have had a much greater level of talent than his seventh-round selection would suggest. It came out after the draft that teams were scared off by medical concerns.
Whether fair or not, it’s natural for some to wonder today if there is any connection between those fears and the injury that he suffered. He had two major injuries previously, as documented by our resident doctor, Melanie Friedlander, who noted a fractured ankle in high school and a torn ACL in 2021. That was in his left knee. The latest injury is to his right knee.
There is some research that does indicate that tearing the ACL in one knee increases the likelihood of tearing the ACL in your uninjured knee. But many college players have suffered serious injuries only to go on to have successful NFL careers without major injury concerns.
The Steelers drafted Georgia WR George Pickens in the second round in 2022 even though he was still working his way back to 100 percent from an ACL tear. Yet Trice very nearly went undrafted because of concerns about his long-term medicals, and thus his durability.
Now that he is facing a second major knee injury in the past three seasons of competitive play, what does this mean about that scouting report? Was this just a freak occurrence? We won’t be able to answer this question for years to come—hopefully, anyway, because that would mean that he’s returned to action and had no injury issues.
