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The Steelers’ James Pierre returns an interception against the Browns in the fourth quarter Sunday Dec. 8, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium.
Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
CB JAMES PIERRE
Experience/age: 6th season, turns 29 in September
Contract status: $1.08 million cap hit if he makes the team, will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026
The past: Try as they might, the Steelers can’t seem to avoid reuniting with Pierre, who keeps finding his way onto the roster despite leaving the organization once and hitting free agency on multiple occasions. He has spent the past five seasons with the Steelers although that wasn’t the plan at the outset of the 2024 training camp.
Last year, Pierre went to camp with the Washington Commanders, but returned to the Steelers’ practice squad after being cut in August. After two games on the practice squad, Pierre was elevated to the active roster and played in 15 games.
Pierre has developed into a reliable special teams player and he can play outside corner in a pinch. He logged 21% of the defensive snaps last year and had one interception, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. His fourth-quarter pick against the Browns ended any chance of a comeback in the Steelers’ 27-14 victory in December.
Pierre, though, may be best remembered for dropping a pass on a fake punt when the Steelers played at Washington in November. He atoned with a late pass breakup that helped secure a 28-27 victory.
Could James Pierre get cut for this?
I wouldn’t urinate on that fire.#Steelers #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/OZ5J29uZPW
— Obviously (Not) Tomlin (@Tomlin_Sense) November 10, 2024
2025 outlook: The Steelers allowed Pierre to test free agency again before bringing him back on another one-year contract. Pierre will receive a $75,000 bonus if he is on the roster for the first week of the season, and his play on special teams will help his cause to earn a spot.
The numbers, however, are stacked against Pierre. The Steelers signed outside corner Darius Slay in free agency to start alongside Joey Porter Jr., and they pulled off a stunning trade in June when they added All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey. The Steelers also added Donte Kent in the seventh round of the draft, have Cory Trice returning and added Brandin Echols in free agency.