New Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Anthony Averett will wear No. 18 for the team, according to the team’s website.
Averett is the second Steeler to be given that jersey number this offseason, joining UDFA quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Both will wear No. 18 throughout the spring and summer. It’s common practice for 90-man offseason rosters to have duplicate numbers, one on each side of the ball. Should either or both make the 53-man roster or practice squad, one will have to change digits.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was the last Steeler to wear No. 18 during the regular season. Pittsburgh traded him to Carolina ahead of free agency.
A veteran corner who spent the bulk of his time with the Baltimore Ravens, Averett signed with the Steelers following a tryout during this past weekend’s rookie minicamp. A fourth-round pick out of Alabama in 2018, he’s appeared in 51 games, starting 27, with 114 career tackles and three interceptions. All three of his picks came in 2021 as a full-time starter for the Ravens. So far, Averett is the only of the 23 tryout players to be signed by the team following its three-day minicamp.
He played a bit role for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and got hurt during training camp in 2023 before spending a few weeks on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad later in the year.
Now a Steeler, he’ll compete for a backup or rotational spot at cornerback. Though he’s played outside cornerback for most of his career, the Steelers could give him slot snaps given the vacancy they have there. The team released Patrick Peterson while Chandon Sullivan remains a free agent. Averett will compete with UDFA Beanie Bishop and a host of players signed to Reserve/Future contracts this winter – Josiah Scott and Thomas Graham are two of the most notable — along with anyone else the team could bring in prior to training camp.
