Pittsburgh Steelers CB Cory Trice Jr.’s window to return has been opened. The team officially designated Trice to return Wednesday, allowing him to practice for the next 21 days. By then, the team must either activate Trice off injured reserve and sign him to the 53-man roster or keep him on IR the remainder of the season.
Pittsburgh chose not to open his window upon first being eligible following its Week 5 bye but officially designated him to return today.
Trice suffered a hamstring injury during the team’s Friday Night Lights practice of training camp. He missed the rest of the summer, failing to practice or participate in any of the Steelers’ three preseason games. Trice progressed to limited practice shortly before cutdowns and told reporters he felt healthy to potentially play in Week 1. But Pittsburgh opted to place him on injured reserve instead.
It’s the third time in as many years Trice has landed on IR. As a rookie, he tore his ACL during the first padded training camp practice and missed the rest of the season. Healthy to begin 2024, he returned to injured reserve early in the season after suffering a hamstring injury. Despite his talent, a laundry list of injuries have followed him since college and were a key reason why he fell to the seventh round of the 2023 draft.
The Steelers have had a multitude of issues in their secondary in recent weeks, and Trice could be an option to provide depth if he’s activated off IR. Trice can be used to match up against bigger receivers or tight ends, and with the secondary struggling, Trice could see an opportunity.
The Steelers recently designated LB Malik Harrison to return off IR recently, and his 21-day window closes on Monday. If Harrison isn’t activated by then, he will miss the rest of the season.
Trice has appeared in six games in his NFL career. He’s recorded 21 tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception, which came in a Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos in 2024.
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