In Pittsburgh, it’s next man up. For Cory Trice Jr., he made those words true. Two plays after replacing an injured CB Donte Jackson, Trice picked off Denver Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix to thwart the Broncos’ best scoring opportunity of the game, preserving a 10-0 Pittsburgh lead.
Trice leaped and picked Nix off in the back of the end zone, his first career interception in his second NFL game.
Trice missed his rookie season last season due to a torn ACL. Injuries have been a recurring issue throughout his career, Trice tearing his ACL and breaking his ankle in college. He battled back and made the roster out of training camp, his reps slowly increasing throughout the summer and playing well downhill in preseason action.
Pittsburgh had enough faith in him to make Trice the No. 3 cornerback behind Jackson and Porter, deciding against adding anyone from the outside.
It’s a great moment for Trice personally. His back story is one of tragedy from injuries to losing his father to gun violence when he was a child.
It was also a huge moment for the Steelers’ defense. Having just allowed a 49-yard completion to WR Josh Reynolds off a trick Wildcat play, the Broncos looked poised to cut into the Steelers’ 10-point lead. Instead, Trice was celebrating with his teammates and Pittsburgh took the ball the other way on the following drive. A pass interference helped put them in range as Chris Boswell kicked his fourth field goal of 50-plus yards this season, a 53-yarder that extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 13 points.
