The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving on from CB Desmond King. It’s only a question of if it will be through a release or trade. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team plans to release King unless they can find a trade partner.
King was signed to the Steelers roster after being released by the Houston Texans at final cutdowns. A pedigree cornerback with inside/outside versatility, he logged just one defensive snap for the Steelers, a Justice Hill TD in Week Five’s win over the Baltimore Ravens. Aside from a handful of kick returns, King did not see the field.
King hinted at the news earlier with this tweet, writing “WELP ON TO THE NEXT !!”
It’s a surprising decision given the fact the Steelers’ secondary has struggled this year. Slot production has been minimal and the run defense has been poor, two areas King – on paper – could’ve helped.
Starting slot corner Chandon Sullivan has been non-descript to poor this season. According to our charting, his passer rating against is over 118.0 and he’s been bailed out by dropped passes like Ravens WR Nelson Agholor’s dropped touchdown in Week Five. There’s also Patrick Peterson, who plays inside in dime packages.
In King’s place, the Steelers are reportedly going to sign rookie Darius Rush off the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad. The Steelers will also need to make roster moves over the weekend should WR Diontae Johnson and/or RB Anthony McFarland Jr. get activated off of IR. Johnson is expected to play while there’s a good chance McFarland is healthy enough to return, too.
Developing story.
