Whenever he steps on the field, new Pittsburgh Steelers’ CB Darius Rush will sport No. 21 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That was made official by the team after signing Rush today, replacing veteran CB Desmond King, who was released.
Rush, a rookie from South Carolina, was signed off the Kansas City Chiefs. It means he has to occupy a roster spot for at least the next three weeks, though the expectation is he’ll be in the team’s longer-term plans (in theory, Pittsburgh could release Rush before then but they would not be able to replace his spots until the three weeks have passed).
Rush was drafted in the fifth round by the Indianapolis Colts but waived during final cutdowns. He was then picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs before the Steelers signed him off their practice squad.
Rush is a long and athletic and adds to a young Steelers’ cornerback room of Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., though the latter is on injured reserve with a knee injury. Rush is unlikely to dress right away while he learns the playbook and may not be active throughout the season unless there’s an injury. The team will dress Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, Chandon Sullivan, James Pierre, and Porter in the meantime.
Rush was a standout special teamer in school which does increase his chances of getting a hat in the event injuries strike the secondary or somewhere else on the team. He was considered a top prospect out of college with Dane Brugler speaking highly of him in his pre-draft assessment, ranked as his 9th-best corner in what was a strong class overall.
Last year, S Tre Norwood wore No. 21 for the Steelers. The team released him during final cutdowns after he missed much of the summer with a leg injury.
