It’s no surprise that the Pittsburgh Steelers experienced a greater amount of turnover on the roster than is typical for them, given that there is a new captain at the steering wheel with Omar Khan running the show as general manager.
While the inside linebacker room was flipped on its head, the secondary faced a fair amount of change as well, losing three starters in S Terrell Edmunds and CBs Cameron Sutton and Arthur Maulet. While they’re piecing together the safety position with Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal, and Patrick Peterson is taking over Sutton’s spot, the coaches are still working out what to do in the slot.
Peterson is probably going to spend time playing there, but he won’t be the only one. the other principal contenders are Elijah Riley and Chandon Sullivan, both of whom came away with interceptions. Riley spent time on both the practice squad and 53-man rosters last season and is eager to prove that he merits a full-time job.
“Every opportunity I get, I’m trying to do something while I’m out there on the field”, he told reporters after the game, via the team’s website. “I want to be somebody that the team can rely on when it comes down to it. I think that starts by showing I can do that out there on the big stage”.
The veteran was the beneficiary of his defensive counterparts, completing a tip drill as ILB Cole Holcomb got a hand on a pass heading for the end zone. Riley was in the right place at the right time to snag the ball in the end zone, showing soft hands.
Riley does have some NFL experience with 410 defensive snaps under his belt over the past three seasons, 20 of which came in Pittsburgh. Nearly all of the rest came in 2021 with the New York Jets. While he is still searching for his first interception that counts, he did have one in the preseason in 2021—against the Pittsburgh Steelers, picking off Joshua Dobbs as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. He had seven career interceptions across four seasons in college at Army, including three during his senior season.
Capable of playing both in the slot and at safety, Riley’s versatility has helped to keep his name in the competition. A pair of tackles on special teams will do nothing to hurt his chances of making the team, either, and dressing for games.
If he’s competing with Sullivan for regular playing time, or even a roster spot, however, it won’t be an easy battle. Sullivan’s own interception was also off a tip drill, except it was he who tipped the pass on his own. Not quite a T.J. Watt swat and snare, but not far from it, either.
Sullivan is a veteran of five seasons who has nearly 3,000 defensive snaps under his belt. He spent the 2022 season with Peterson with the Minnesota Vikings. He has five career interceptions, though none came last year, even with a career-high seven passes defensed.
