The Steelers liked CB Cory Trice Jr. enough to keep him on the Reserve/Injured List, but they still have a decision to make. Although they are short on defensive backs on the 53-man roster, they don’t have to bring him back. For a depth player with frequent injuries, he is facing a tipping point in his career.
After investing heavily at cornerback this offseason, the Steelers have a very different secondary heading into the 2025 season. Their eight-man secondary is primarily new with Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Juan Thornhill, Brandin Echols, and Chuck Clark. Only Joey Porter Jr., DeShon Elliott, and Miles Killebrew remain from last season. They have Beanie Bishop Jr. and James Pierre on the practice squad, with Trice on IR.
A seventh-round pick in 2023, Cory Trice Jr. is serving his third stint on IR. He spent his entire rookie season there after tearing his ACL in training camp. Last season, a hamstring injury robbed him of 11 games. During training camp this year, he suffered another hamstring injury that has landed him on IR.
Yet it’s not clear that there is much of a role for him whenever he returns—if he returns. With Ramsey, Slay, Porter, and Echols, they have a strong dime package already. And that’s not even factoring in Clark as a third safety. Just because the Steelers used a return designation on Cory Trice doesn’t mean they have to activate him. Just last year, the Steelers used a DTR slot on OL Dylan Cook, but later waived him after he returned to practice.
In fact, there is a recent precedent for this. Just last year, the Steelers placed OL Dylan Cook on IR on cutdown day, which necessitated an immediate return designation. He eventually returned to practice. Instead of activating him to the 53-man roster, however, they cut him. The Steelers later re-signed him to the practice squad—a route they could take with Trice.
The circumstances have changed dramatically just from last season for the third-year man. In 2024, Trice won the Steelers’ primary backup outside cornerback job. Even if he hadn’t injured his hamstring, it doesn’t seem likely he would have repeated the feat. At the very least, Pittsburgh seems pleased with Echols as the first cornerback off the bench—inside or outside.
And on top of that, the Steelers already have ample practice squad depth at cornerback. As of this writing, James Pierres, Beanie Bishop Jr., and D’Shawn Jamison are on the practice squad. All have NFL experience, with Jamison playing over 100 defensive snaps in 2023 in Carolina. At 193 career defensive snaps, Trice doesn’t have much more than that.
One thing that could be to his advantage is his size. The Steelers have gravitated toward longer cornerbacks, but the only ones on the roster over 6-0 are Porter and Ramsey. Cory Trice’s 6-3, 200-plus-pound frame had a lot to do with why they took the risk on him in the first place. He still has the build, but with three significant injuries in three years, how much more patience does Pittsburgh have?
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