The Pittsburgh Steelers have already faced one notable former player this season, finishing on the losing end against the Houston Texans with Kendrick Green serving as a starting guard. Though he ended up with an injury that landed him on the Reserve/Injured List, he did get the win over the team that traded him away.
On Sunday, the Steelers will face two more players they gave up on. The more discussed is G Kevin Dotson, who is now starting for the Los Angeles Rams and playing at a high level. They traded him away, as well. As for CB Ahkello Witherspoon, Pittsburgh released him one year into a two-year, $8 million contract earlier this offseason.
He did not sign with the Rams until the end of June after being released in mid-May, but he’s started every game so far for Los Angeles, logging nearly 400 defensive snaps in six games. He has two interceptions so far with five total passes defensed, and the favor of his head coach, Sean McVay.
“Ahkello has made a really big impact on this defense through six games, super coachable”, he told reporters yesterday, via transcript provided by the Rams’ public relations department. “He’s obviously got great length and athleticism and I love the way that he lets [defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant] really just challenge him snap in and snap out. I think he’s responded really well, and I’ve been really pleased with Ahkello Witherspoon. I love having him on this team”.
A third-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, Witherspoon has had an up-and-down career, finding himself on a rollercoaster of promotions and demotions. It’s why he is on his fourth team since 2020.
Witherspoon signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an unrestricted free agent in 2021, but they traded him to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick before ever playing a snap. He spent most of that season on Pittsburgh’s bench, but played some of the best football of his career once he finally did get on the field.
It was off that performance that they turned around and gave him a two-year contract the following offseason, but he struggled badly in the first couple of games last season before landing on the Reserve/Injured List.
Released on May 17 after the Steelers added cornerbacks via free agency and the draft, Witherspoon sat unsigned for nearly a month and a half before earning veteran salary benefit deal with the Rams. As mentioned, he has been starting for them all season.
Though his play has not been consistently good, he has played well enough for that Rams defense. He has graded out solidly so far and is not charged with allowing a touchdown this season. He allowed four on a similar number of targets for Pittsburgh last year. So far this season, he has only allowed nine receptions on 25 targets for 129 yards and zero touchdowns with two interceptions.
