Do the Steelers already have their next young starter on the roster to pair with CB Joey Porter Jr?
At least defensively, this is one of the biggest questions that the Steelers face. Okay, they have Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback back. He looks more than legitimate, perhaps with Pro Bowl potential. He still has some rough edges here and there, but is otherwise smooth. But who else do you have?
Right now, you have Patrick Peterson as he hastens toward his mid-30s. If you re-sign Levi Wallace or James Pierre, you have those two. At this point, none of those strike me and others as ideal options. Peterson knows as well as anybody his time as an outside cover corner is quite limited. Head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t exactly answer with confidence when answering a question about Peterson’s future.
But the Steelers do have some interesting young cornerbacks on their roster. The only problem is they are wholly unproven. The first candidate is Cory Trice Jr., their own seventh-round pick from a year ago. The Steelers seemingly graded his play considerably higher, but medical concerns torpedoed his draft stock. And then he tore his ACL in training camp.
The other cornerback is Darius Rush. Drafted in the fifth round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, he did not make the 53-man roster nor the practice squad. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him to their practice squad thereafter, but then Pittsburgh signed him to their 53 two weeks later.
He proceeded to dress for three games, playing 39 defensive snaps and 20 special teams snaps. His most notable moment featured him dropping a would-be game-sealing interception against the Tennessee Titans. ILB Kwon Alexander took care of that a short while later.
Will one of these tall, young cornerbacks emerge as a starter next to Joey Porter Jr. for the Steelers? It certainly would solve one of their biggest problems, but it’s not statistically the most likely outcome. Some might call it overly optimistic to anticipate, for example, Trice being a significant defensive contributor.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason to look forward to.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Kenny Pickett the guy? Will he get another season’s reprieve without a serious challenge? How will the team address the depth chart? Do they re-sign Mason Rudolph, one of few significant unrestricted free agents?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
