The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed cornerback Cory Trice Jr. on injured reserve with a designation-to-return label, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season. Trice is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered on Aug. 1, which caused him to miss the rest of training camp and the Steelers’ three preseason games.
Though Trice has been rehabbing and making strides toward practicing in full, the Steelers are giving him plenty of time to fully recover instead of using a 53-man roster spot on him.
It’s the third time in as many years the Steelers have placed Trice on injured reserve. He missed his rookie season after tearing his ACL during the first padded training camp practice and missed half of 2024 due to a hamstring injury. For all his talent, injuries have plagued Trice in college and the NFL. It was one reason why he fell to the seventh round in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Steelers’ coaching staff hasn’t been shy about noting his lack of availability.
Over his first two NFL seasons, Trice has appeared in only six games. He won’t be eligible to return until Week 6 when Pittsburgh takes on the Cleveland Browns. He’ll miss games against the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. Pittsburgh has a Week 5 bye.
The Steelers’ top cornerbacks this season are Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, and Brandin Echols.
Pittsburgh only kept eight defensive backs, including five corners, after making all of its cuts. Rookie seventh-round pick Donte Kent was carried on the initial 53-man roster and may end up stashed on IR in the coming days. Normally opting to keep 10 DBs, the Steelers may add to the room in the coming days.
