Steelers On The Cusp Of Losing Promising Cornerback For The Remainder Of The Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had issues with injuries throughout the entire 2024 season, especially on the defensive side of the ball and throughout the offensive line. Pittsburgh has already lost James Daniels and Troy Fautanu for the season, and Alex Highsmith has had multiple stretches of missing games due to separate injuries. One player Pittsburgh has been without since Week 3 is second-year cornerback Cory Trice Jr., and this comes after missing his entire rookie year in 2023 due to a torn ACL.

Trice injured his knee early on in training camp ahead of the 2023 season and wasn't even able to appear in a preseason game ahead of his rookie year. He was a seventh round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he was an exciting prospect that fell in the draft because of his injury history. He made an impact for Pittsburgh early in 2024 as he recorded his first career interception in Week 2 in a win over the Denver Broncos, but he suffered a hamstring injury the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Hamstring injuries are difficult to judge, as are all soft tissue injuries. Some players are able to return from hamstring injuries after a couple weeks, while other hamstring injuries are more serious. Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott injured his hamstring and the signal-caller required surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the 2024 season.

The second-year cornerback was placed on Injured Reserve, but he had his 21-day practice window opened on November 14th. When a player has their practice window opened, they are still on Injured Reserve, but they are able to return to practice and get caught up to speed while the organization has 21 days to elevate the player to the active roster.

Trice's 21-day practice window is up next Thursday on December 5th, and if he is not activated by this date, it will mean he will miss the remainder of the season for the second year in a row. Trice has been able to play since before the Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, but was not activated for that game or the Week 12 contest against the Cleveland Browns. The cornerback was ruled out for the Week 13 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals as well, so if he is not activated ahead of Pittsburgh's Week 14 matchup with Cleveland, he will be done for the year.

Trice will practice again after the game against the Bengals, and if he is deemed ready to play by the coaching staff, he should be activated ahead of the game against the Browns. The Steelers could really use Trice back as the depth at cornerback has been tested throughout the season.

Steelers' Cory Trice Jr. Has Faced A Ton Of Adversity In His Young Career

Trice finally got a taste of NFL action at the start of the 2024 season, and was playing well up until his injury. His interception in the end zone against Denver was a big reason the Steelers were able to win that game. Trice was featured in the dime package on defense in obvious passing situations, and he was a quality depth piece behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson. 

Without Trice, Pittsburgh's depth at corner is questionable. Behind Porter and Jackson is James Pierre, who is often picked on when he is inserted into the game. Cam Sutton is also an option on the outside, but the team is more comfortable deploying him in the slot.

What do you think about Trice potentially missing the rest of the season? Let us know in the comments below!

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