The Pittsburgh Steelers made several improvements to their roster this offseason. While they’re still waiting on QB Aaron Rodgers, they shored up other positions like defensive line, wide receiver, and running back. However, their roster is far from perfect. And Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes the Steelers’ cornerbacks room will be worse this year compared to last season.
“They didn’t want to bring back Donte Jackson,” Fittipaldo said Friday on 93.7 The Fan. “But Donte Jackson led them in interceptions with five. You’re replacing him with a 34-year-old veteran [Darius Slay].
“I know there’s some pedigree there, but just the way they go year-to-year with this position, they keep punting on it every single year, never really turns out for them. So, I’m gonna say worse.”
Jackson did make a lot of splash plays in his lone season with the Steelers. He’s only the third Steeler since Troy Polamalu to record five interceptions in a season. Replacing that level of production won’t be easy.
However, Jackson wasn’t perfect, either. Although he started off hot, his play tailed off near the end of the year. Jackson’s coverage abilities started to slip. That could have been due to a back injury he was fighting down the stretch. Whatever the case, Jackson wasn’t exactly a lockdown corner.
The Steelers allowed him to walk in free agency, with Jackson joining the Los Angeles Chargers. To replace him, Pittsburgh signed 12-year veteran Darius Slay. Throughout his career, Slay has been a better player than Jackson, being named first-team All-Pro once and making six Pro Bowls. However, like Fittipaldo says, he’s 34 years old. At that age, there’s some concern Slay might not be the same player anymore.
Joey Porter Jr.’s development will be interesting to watch as well. During his rookie year, he looked like he could develop into a true No. 1 corner. In 2024, he didn’t take the leap some might have expected him to, although he still wasn’t bad. If he can take another step forward this year, the Steelers might be a stronger at corner.
Slay sounds excited to help Porter do that. The Steelers have several other young corners who could also benefit from Slay’s wisdom. Health is a big concern with Cory Trice Jr., but he’s got a lot of potential. Beanie Bishop Jr. made several big plays last year, too.
Even if Slay doesn’t produce the takeaways that Jackson did, if he helps the Steelers’ cornerback room strengthen as a collective, then the scales might balance out. He still looked like a fine player last year while helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl. While the Steelers probably shouldn’t continue having a revolving door at the corner spot opposite Porter, Slay’s veteran presence could be a net positive. Maybe he’ll help Trice become Porter’s long-term partner.
