Three games into his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, DB Desmond King II has logged zero snaps on defense.
Many expected King to be a difference maker for Pittsburgh in the secondary after he was signed to the team at the end of the preseason, being a surprise cut by the Houston Texans. Given Pittsburgh’s questions at the nickel cornerback position heading into the season and King’s experience in that role, it seemed like a seamless fit for the eight-year NFL veteran.
DC Teryl Austin was asked about King and his role, or lack thereof, on defense thus far. Austin responded that King is continuing to get ramped up after being a late add to the team, expecting him to see the field in the secondary at some point.
“I like Dez,” Austin said Thursday, according to official transcript from the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I think Dez is working. It’s like anything, when you come from another system there’s certain things and details that you have to get used to that may be different from where you came from. That’s the biggest thing with him. I think he’s smart. He’s tough. He had a hat [last week]. So, we’re hopefully accelerating him and keeping him going. And at some point, we’ll see him on the field.”
King jumped on the moving train when he signed with the Steelers less than two weeks before their regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. HC Mike Tomlin stated after his signing that he was excited to have King in the fold but didn’t know when he would get implemented into the defensive game plan with the pieces that Pittsburgh already has.
It’s been three weeks since those comments and King got a helmet for the first time last weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders, seeing the field as Pittsburgh’s kick returner with WR Gunner Olszewski being a healthy scratch. Like Austin mentioned, it can take time for someone to get fully implemented into a new system and scheme, particularly as a defensive back where you must know all of the coverages and have a sense of familiarity and chemistry with the other members of the secondary.
Still, the Steelers have been able to slow play King’s involvement on defense since they have options at cornerback, being that they are carrying seven on the active roster. DBs Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley have been seeing time in the slot like they had been during the preseason prior to King being signed while also contributing on special teams. That’s probably a big reason why King hasn’t yet gotten more run as Pittsburgh would have to make one of Sullivan or Riley inactive, creating a need to replace them on special teams.
Still, King is the most proven of the three as a defensive back, and once he is fully up-to-speed, he should see the field on defense, at least to some degree to start. Perhaps that may come this week against his former team in Houston, which decided to move on from him to allow younger defensive backs the opportunity to play and develop in his spot. It would make for quite a defensive debut for King, especially if he were to make a play or two against the team that cut him loose just over a month ago.
