The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing CB C.J. Henderson to their active roster from their practice squad, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. Per Rapoport, Henderson was in demand for cornerback-needy teams, so the Steelers will keep him in Pittsburgh by adding him to the active roster.
Henderson was a former first-round pick, as the Jacksonville Jaguars took him ninth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his career, he has 172 tackles, 16 passes defensed and three interceptions.
Henderson’s stint in Jacksonville lasted just 10 games before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. He played 39 games for the Panthers with 22 starts and also spent time with the Houston Texans during training camp and the preseason before signing with Pittsburgh on September 25. He played just five defensive snaps with the Texans this preseason, all of which came against the Steelers in their preseason opener.
The Steelers lost CB Donte Jackson to a shoulder injury that knocked him out of last night’s game, although Jackson said he should be able to play on Monday Night in Pittsburgh’s Week 8 game against the New York Giants. However, Henderson is still solid depth for the Steelers, even if Jackson is healthy, and it keeps him in the organization.
As a former high-pedigree corner, he’s someone who might be able to develop in Pittsburgh under the tutelage of Mike Tomlin, Grady Brown, and Teryl Austin. The Steelers have also only been dressing four cornerbacks with CB Cory Trice Jr. on injured reserve, so Henderson provides another option and some insurance for the Steelers if they do lose a cornerback to injury, as was the case with Jackson last night.
It’s an interesting move to make early in the week, but given that it seemed like Henderson had interest around the league, it makes sense to get it done and keep him in the Black and Gold.
