The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially signed CB James Pierre to the 53-man roster, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC5 in Houston.
Pierre served as Pittsburgh’s gunner on Sunday and played well after being elevated off the practice squad, and Pierre also had to play a defensive role after injuries suffered to Cory Trice Jr. and Donte Jackson, although Jackson quickly returned. Pierre played just two defensive snaps.
It’s Pierre’s second stint in Pittsburgh, as he also was with the team from 2020-2023, although his defensive role diminished in recent seasons. He originally signed with the Washington Commanders this offseason but was released during final roster cuts in August.
Pierre was elevated ahead of the game along with OT John Leglue, but Leglue did not play against the Chargers. The Steelers added more offensive tackle depth today by signing former New England Patriots OT Calvin Anderson.
Pierre now joins Anderson as joining Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster today, and he’s someone the team has familiarity with and can provide depth at cornerback while also playing a consistent role on special teams.
Pittsburgh’s had issues at gunner this season, but Pierre played well in that role yesterday and hopefully can help the Steelers’ special teams improve.
Yesterday, Corliss Whitman averaged 50.3 net yards on three punts, which is a good average, and a lot of that was due to Pierre’s play at gunner. It’s a positive sign for the unit and it’s not a surprise the team is now adding him to the 53-man roster.
His familiarity with Pittsburgh and the coaching staff should help if he does wind up having to contribute on defense, and if Trice has to miss time, it’s an addition that makes that much more sense as added depth on defense.
