Player: CB Grayland Arnold
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Grayland Arnold was competing for the Steelers’ slot cornerback position, but his body did not cooperate. He suffered multiple injuries during training camp, during which time he lost ground. Arnold left practice on Wednesday and the Steelers placed him on the Reserve/Injured List yesterday. He is now out of the competition with Beanie Bishop Jr., who still has a challenge from Thomas Graham Jr.
The way things are heading, expect to see Beanie Bishop Jr. in the first nickel package of the season. The Steelers are running out of options, Grayland Arnold absorbing yet another injury. With Cameron Sutton set to serve an eight-game suspension, they need all healthy hands on deck.
A former college free agent, Grayland Arnold is in his fifth NFL season yet has just 228 defensive snaps. Although an injury ended his 2023 season, his lack of playing time is not so much about availability. Still, he is in the mix to begin the season as the Steelers’ primary slot defender.
Or at least he was. The only problem is that now he has to recover from another injury, and Beanie Bishop Jr. isn’t looking to give ground. He recently tipped a pass in practice that resulted in an interception for the defense though he needs to start catching his own interceptions as well. That’s what he showed in college. Arnold is still looking for his first NFL interception.
Starting this past week, the Steelers installed Arnold into the first-team defense only to exit with an injury. But after suffering another injury on Wednesday, the Steelers placed him on the Reserve/Injured List. Odds are in a short amount of time they will work out an injury settlement and he will be on his merry way. That’s another slot hopeful gone along with Josiah Scott, Bishop nearly the last man standing. But they still have Thomas Graham Jr., and some slot-capable safeties.
Arnold was giving Bishop a run for his money when he actually managed to practice, but too much time spectating proved to be his downfall. One hopes that he could potentially circle back at some point later in the season after meeting the requirements of his injury settlement and healing.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
