In cornerback C.J. Henderson, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin added another former first-round pick to his collection. Signed to their practice squad, he now represents depth after losing Cory Trice Jr. for at least four weeks. But he has a familiar face in Donte Jackson, who will help him acclimate to the new defense.
“Smart player — very, very competitive,” Jackson said of Henderson, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He loves this game…He’s getting a fresh start.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted C.J. Henderson ninth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. They traded him to the Panthers at the start of his second season, where he teamed up with Donte Jackson. In 39 career games in Carolina, he started two, including seven of 12 last season. They benched him due to the quality of his play and did not re-sign him this offseason.
Henderson eventually signed with the Houston Texans in March, but they let him go in late August. He had not been with a team since then, but is ready for a new beginning. Not that having an old, familiar face hurts anything. He told Batko that he’s excited to be back with Jackson again.
“He’s a character,” Henderson said of Jackson
Donte Jackson is starting alongside Joey Porter Jr. at outside cornerback, with Beanie Bishop Jr. in the slot. Trice had been the Steelers’ top backup on the outside, but he is currently on the Reserve/Injured List. Unless they promote C.J. Henderson, then Darius Rush and the recently-re-signed James Pierre are next up.
While many veterans initially sign onto practice squads as a precursor to signing to the 53-man roster, there is no indication the Steelers plan to do that with Henderson. For now, they just want to get to know him, kick the tires, and see what he can offer.
At 6-1, 205 pounds, Henderson does look the part, yet he has not had the success of Donte Jackson, who does not. Jackson is only 5-10 and 180 pounds, yet he gets the job done on the outside. Not a ton of cornerbacks 5-10 and under survive for too long as a full-time starter outside.
Henderson has 172 career tackles, including 6 for loss, with a sack, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. A year ago, he recorded 39 tackles along with the sack, but no interceptions. According to Pro Football Reference, he allowed 27 completions on 37 targets for 310 yards and a touchdown.
During 10 starts over 17 games in 2022, Henderson allowed 58 receptions on 84 targets for 684 yards and 4 touchdowns, although he did manage 2 of his 3 career interceptions. But will he ever see a chance to nab another one during this season? The Steelers can elevate him to the active roster three times without signing him to the 53-man roster.
