Spring storylines come in either two forms. Minimal and predictable, the Pittsburgh Steelers like their new coaches, the team is jelling, everyone is happy. Same song and dance for 31 other teams. Or they’re exaggerated, a young player “winning” OTAs even if it has little bearing on his preseason and regular-season success.
But one notable story out of Pittsburgh the first two weeks is CB Cory Trice Jr. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Trice fell in the draft because of it. And though Pittsburgh stopped his fall in the seventh round, Trice’s rookie season ended before it barely began, tearing his ACL during the team’s first padded practice.
Rehabbing instead of playing out his rookie season, Trice is working his way back for 2024. He took the field during OTAs, telling reporters he was mostly a full participant besides not being cleared for contact. A non-issue right now anyway. There’s no contact until Trice puts the pads on for a literal second time in camp.
Clips of Trice have looked encouraging. Overall, he’s moving well and having him just out there and taking physical reps this time of year is a win.
But if you notice him in the above clip, there’s still another step to go beyond being cleared for contact. Ditching that leg brace. I’m no doctor. I’m not saying when that should happen nor am I saying it was wrong for him to wear it during OTAs. Still, the sooner, the better, for him to be as fluid as possible.
It’s not the first time Trice’s worn a knee brace. After tearing his ACL two games into his 2021 season, he returned for 2022 sporting a brace. Though even Purdue trainers wanted him to ditch the brace earlier than he did, Trice removed it four games into the year. It made a world of difference.
“Now that I’ve played without it, I realize it was [holding me back] the whole time,” he told the Journal & Courier in October 2022.
The article noted his first game without the brace was his best of the year. Trice recorded two pass breakups and “blanketed” receivers in a 20-10 Boilermakers win. Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan threw three picks.
Trice certainly wasn’t wrong or erred in keeping the brace on. Coming off such a serious injury, there’s a mental aspect to wearing the brace. And after tearing it twice, having it on for now is completely find and reasonable. But he admits how important it was to lose the bulky piece of equipment holding back his ability to fluidly run and change directions.
“I felt more like me. That was a good start,” he said. “I just had to take the next step and that was the next step.”
As he noted earlier this year, his ACL recovery isn’t new. Unfortunate as tearing it twice is, the silver lining is he knows what to expect, how the whole process looks, and when his body officially feels back. Assuming the brace stays on for the remainder of the spring, I’ll watch to see if it comes off for the start of training camp.
Maybe he keeps it for the first four days in Latrobe, the non-padded practices that effectively still function as OTA practices. But taking it off will be a good day, allowing Trice to play to the best of his abilities and make a push not just for a roster spot but to make a gameday impact.
