Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: CB Desmond King II
Stock Value: Sold
Reasoning: Spending just five games on the 53-man roster, veteran CB Desmond King II was officially released yesterday after the Steelers failed to find a trading partner. They replaced him by signing rookie CB Darius Rush off the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad after evidently determining King was not the player they were hoping for.
Sometimes those things that seem too good to be true, are. That’s what the Steelers determined was the case with veteran CB Desmond King II, whom they officially released yesterday. It was reported earlier that they informed him of their intention to release him if they could not find a trade partner, and clearly there were no takers.
King was released at the end of August by the Houston Texans, with whom he had spent the past two seasons. A former All-Pro, and still just 28 years old, the Steelers were hopeful that they had just stumbled upon a gift.
And so did the fans, but the coaching staff seemingly disagreed. Despite lip service about the potential for an increased role by his coaches, he is now a street free agent looking for his next job. As a vested veteran prior to the trade deadline, he has been free to sign with anybody as soon as his release was official.
Spending the first two games inactive, King did dress for the past three, but saw only one defensive snap, which happened to be a 14-yard rushing touchdown. He did fill in as kick returner during that time, with minimal success, but with RB Anthony McFarland Jr. returning from the Reserve/Injured List, his services there were no longer required.
Nobody has publicly commented on it since yesterday’s move was made, and I don’t know that we will hear much about it on an official basis. We can reasonably assume, however, that the coaches were not particularly impressed with what they did see in the month-plus that they had to work with him.
His roster spot has been filled by another cornerback, rookie Darius Rush. Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, the 6-2 fifth-round pick wound up on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad, where he remained prior to the Steelers signing him to a 53-man roster contract yesterday.
