The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL to begin the 2024 NFL season, but they are already starting to face some adversity when it comes to injuries. Rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu was already placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a knee injury in practice while preparing for Pittsburgh's Week 3 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. During that game, both Alex Highsmith and Cory Trice Jr. went down with soft tissue injuries, which is a big blow for the dominant defense.
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Steelers' Cory Trice Jr. makes a tackle for loss against the Houston Texans during the 2024 preseason.
Trice has struggled with injuries throughout his football career. He tore his ACL during training camp ahead of his rookie season in 2023, and now he will be hitting Injured Reserve due to the hamstring injury he suffered against the Chargers. He exited the game early on and couldn't return, which was tough to see for the promising second-year player. The Steelers announced some roster moves on Tuesday, including Trice being added to Injured Reserve.
Cory Trice to the IR -- he cant catch a break, can he?
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) September 24, 2024
Trice had been playing well so far in the 2024 season, as he recorded a crucial interception in the end zone against the Denver Broncos in Week 2. He has been a promising depth piece for Pittsburgh behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, and now Pittsburgh will be missing him for at least the next four games.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Cory Trice Jr. and Joey Porter Jr. ahead of a preseason game in 2024.
A corresponding move for Pittsburgh was signing James Pierre to the active roster. He was with the Steelers from 2020 through the 2023 season, but has been a liability at cornerback. The depth in the secondary is certainly concerning, and the Steelers should be looking to bring in some external help. Porter and Jackson have played well and have proven to be reliable, but if one of them goes down the Steelers could be facing real trouble.
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Cornerback Donte Jackson getting warmed up for the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 OTAs.
Steelers Need To Sure Up The Cornerback Position
Behind Jackson and Porter is Pierre and Darius Rush, who was a healthy scratch in Week 3. Jackson has already gone down multiple times during the 2024 season. He exited the game against Denver, and missed a little bit of time against Los Angeles. He also had an injury during training camp. Pittsburgh should be shopping on the open market for an experienced cornerback to bring in until the room returns to full health. The team could also even consider a reunion with Patrick Peterson, who is still unsigned despite clearly wanting to play this season.
What do you think Pittsburgh should do while Trice is on Injured Reserve? Let us know in the comments below!
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