Though it made sense on paper, the Pittsburgh Steelers won’t be signing Avonte Maddox. Instead, he’s returning to the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Maddox was speculated, though there was never any credible report, as a fit for Pittsburgh to fill its void in the slot. An experienced nickel option with ties to the city, playing for the Pitt Panthers in college, he was one of the top slot cornerbacks still available in free agent. Instead, he’ll spend 2024 in Philadelphia, the same city where he’s played  his whole NFL career since being drafted in 2018. For his career, Maddox has appeared in 64 games, starting 38, and recording 250 tackles (13 for a loss) with 31 pass breakups and four interceptions. Injury limited him to four games last season.
Pittsburgh’s search for a slot cornerback continues without an obvious solution. The team could look toward the draft, a class that features names like Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, Michigan’s Mike Sainristil, Rutgers’ Max Melton, and Kentucky’s Andru Phillips. To date, Pittsburgh’s brought in two slot options for pre-draft visits in Phillips and Penn State’s Daequan Hardy, the latter a local visitor who doesn’t account the Steelers’ allotted 30.
Pittsburgh’s shown some interest in Sainristil, sending Ike Taylor among other top Steelers brass to the Wolverines’ Pro Day. Taylor left with high praise for Sainristil’s mentality and approach to the game.
Should the Steelers fail to draft a slot corner, they could revisit Chandon Sullivan or Patrick Peterson. Both remain free agents. Mike Tomlin confirmed the door remained “open” for a potential Peterson return, who admitted he’s unlikely to sign anywhere until after the draft. Much like center, free agent slot options are thin.
Currently, the team has few slot candidates on its roster. Sullivan and Peterson dominated the snap count there last season. The only other options are unknowns like Darius Rush, primarily an outside corner in college, and a smattering of players on Futures contracts like former Chicago Bears corner Thomas Graham.
