Today’s free agent analysis for 2024 focuses on Pittsburgh Steelers CB James Pierre. A four-year veteran, he has spent his entire career with the team, originally signing as a college free agent. Once viewed as a potential starter, he has settled into a special teams player primarily. He signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract last season after the Steelers did not tender him as a restricted free agent.
Player: James Pierre
Position: Cornerback
Experience: 4 Years
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted
2023 Salary Cap Hit: $1,300,000
2023 Season Breakdown:
Fourth-year veteran cornerback James Pierre played a career-low 26 defensive snaps in 2023. He also played a career-high 264 snaps on special teams. That should tell you the direction in which his career is going. Now entering free agency, he isn’t likely to find a suitor looking for him to start on defense.
And that’s fine. Actually, that doesn’t mean that he can’t play on defense, by any means. He has proven in the past to be decent depth. The Steelers just didn’t—surprisingly—really need him in 2023. They had Joey Porter Jr. as a breakout rookie, for one thing. And between Levi Wallace, Patrick Peterson, and Chandon Sullivan, they had their veterans. The defense also relied on three-safety looks—at least it did when the Steelers had three safeties available.
Twelve of his defensive snaps came in the second game against the Cleveland Browns, during which Wallace only played 10. That was the extent of his extended playing time on defense, the rest scattered here and there. But his primary job all along had been special teams.
He continues to be the Steelers’ best gunner on the punt coverage team, which is his primary role. If memory serves, he downed a couple of punts inside the 5, or at least guided them out of bounds. He still has a role in the NFL.
Free Agency Outlook:
And the way things are going, it might as well continue to be with the Steelers. Odds are he is looking at a one-year Veteran Salary Benefit contract at this point. After playing fewer defensive snaps last season than he did as a raw rookie, I struggle to see it any other way.
After all, never mind the Steelers re-signing Pierre for special teams. They have an All-Pro in Miles Killebrew, who is going to be a free agent as well. They can’t hand out money to multiple special teamers, and one would imagine that they intend to re-sign Killebrew. His last deal was two years for $4 million. I don’t see a massive raise in his future.
The simple reality is that the Steelers are thin at cornerback right now. Also free agents at the position are Wallace and Chandon Sullivan. The Steelers are not even committing to Patrick Peterson right now. Pierre is at least an experienced depth option who could possibly be your number four cornerback on the outside with a bit of dime action. He can play more than 26 defensive snaps and not kill the defense.
