The Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with some injuries in their secondary, so it only makes sense to poke around the free agent market to potentially bolster depth. According to John Hodge of 3 Down Nation, DB Tyrell Ford worked out for the Steelers today.
This move wouldn’t be for immediate depth, but possibly for the playoffs and into the offseason. CFL players are eligible to work out for NFL teams through Feb. 11, 2025, but they are unable to sign contracts until Jan. 6, 2025.
Ford originally signed with the Green Bay Packers on a future contract in January 2023. He stuck with the team until cutdowns at the end of August and cleared waivers to be released from the roster on Aug. 30.
Since then, he has played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL. He was an All-CFL selection this year at cornerback after making 51 tackles and seven interceptions. He is from Canada and was a second-round pick in the CFL in 2022 after attending the University of Waterloo.
Ford has previously attended NFL minicamps, including ones with the New York Jets and Steelers, but never signed with the teams. His minicamp tryout with the Steelers was all the way back in May 2022, so they are circling back to give him a look after a pretty solid season in the CFL.
At his Pro Day workout, Ford measured in at 5106, 191 pounds with 30-inch arms. He ran a solid 4.44-second 40-yard dash while putting up 17 bench-press reps and posting a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump. His athletic profile is solid, but basically all of his experience has come against lesser competition. He’s only 26 years old.
Donte Jackson suffered a back injury in Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cory Trice Jr. is back from IR and will be the first option along with James Pierre to fill in the depth chart. But the Steelers need to start worrying about additional depth for the final three games of the season and a possible push beyond the first round of the playoffs, though Ford wouldn’t be able to provide practice squad depth until the playoffs at the earliest.
