The Washington Commanders are signing Pittsburgh Steelers CB James Pierre, Josina Anderson reported Thursday.
Commanders reporter John Keim confirmed the report. According to Nicki Jhabvala, it’s a one-year deal.
An unrestricted free agent, Pierre primarily served as a gunner and special teamer throughout his Steelers career. Though physically talented, his inconsistent play as a cornerback held back his potential as a rotational piece in Pittsburgh’s defense. In our 2023 training camp recap, we outlined some of those issues.
“Pierre’s highs are high but his lows are low. His technique is frustrating. Coaches were always getting on him for not having his hands up in press, not punching effectively, and his play at the catch point was all over the place. At this point, he is who he is: a No. 4 corner (at best) and special teamer. At some point, the team will look for an upgrade and had rookie Cory Trice Jr. stayed healthy, he may have pushed Pierre off the roster. Pierre could stick on the roster but 2023, if he makes it the whole way through, seems like his last year.”
Undrafted in 2020, James Pierre appeared in 66 games with Pittsburgh. Over that time, he recorded 94 tackles with eight pass breakups. He recorded two career interceptions, including a game-sealing pick to beat the Denver Broncos in Week 5 of the 2021 season.
In 2023, he logged only eight tackles, playing just 26 defensive snaps. Although Patrick Peterson switched to safety late in the season, the Steelers’ corners largely stayed healthy with rookie Joey Porter Jr. emerging and Levi Wallace serving as the team’s top sub-package corner.
Pierre’s most significant number of defensive snaps (414) came in 2021. In 2022, that figure fell to 260 while it came in at just 26 this past season, Pierre logging only three over his final six regular-season games.
Pittsburgh added to its cornerback room by acquiring Donte Jackson in the Diontae Johnson trade. But depth on the outside remains thin while the team has few options at slot corner, a position it will have to prioritize over the next month of free agency and April’s NFL draft. The team does have Darius Rush and Trice, but Rush played just a couple dozen snaps as a rookie while Trice’s rookie year was lost due to a torn ACL suffered in training camp.
