Steelers' Extremely Important 2025 Offseason Involves A Cornerback Position Still In Flux Opposite Of Joey Porter Jr.

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback Donte Jackson as a part of a trade with the Carolina Panthers. The Steelers needed someone to partner with Joey Porter Jr., and Jackson was hoping to win more games; plus, he was excited about playing for Head Coach Mike Tomlin. He had an immediate impact as a part of the Steelers' expensive defense. 

Then, he began dealing with a nagging back injury during the Steelers' 27-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 14. Jackson missed two games as he tried to work through it, but returned for the Wild Card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the season with five interceptions, which led the Steelers. He also had 38 total tackles and a fumble recovery. 

The cornerback room has been a struggle for the Steelers. Ray Fittipaldo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pointed out on the Pomp and Joe Show that it has been a bit of a revolving door. Porter is the only reliable starter as he enters his third season with the Black and Gold. Jackson and Cameron Sutton are free agents this offseason, and Pittsburgh must make some difficult decisions. They are expected to improve their defensive line as well, but regardless, they saw the importance of having solid corners, especially when they couldn't bring pressure up front from the line. 

"They gotta figure out what they're going to do with Jackson," said Fittipaldo. "I thought he was good. He was banged up and injured for the final six weeks of the season, which was not a great development for him or for the team to be quite honest with you. If they go back to Jackson, that's fine, but if not, you're probably going to have to invest in free agency in a corner and maybe even in the draft. I would say it's a decent year for corners. There's maybe one or two that you might see go in the first round, but there are guys you can get second/third round and challenge for a job if not this year, then maybe next year. It has been a rotating door there, guys in and out, nobody they can really count on opposite Joey Porter."

Fittipaldo expects the team to plan out how to proceed after they decide on Jackson. They also have Cory Trice Jr. and Beanie Bishop Jr. scheduled to return. However, Trice has struggled with injuries since he was drafted in 2023. He missed his whole rookie season with a torn ACL and then sadly injured his hamstring early in the 2024 season. Bishop had a surprisingly good season after a slow start for an undrafted rookie free agent; he was just below Jackson for interceptions with four, including two off Aaron Rodgers. 

The Steelers have been linked to several corners in both free agency and the draft. However, Tomlin and company do not have a sterling reputation for developing cornerbacks, so it seems as if they should consider finding a veteran to help out, and hopefully, one younger than Patrick Peterson was in 2023. 

Steelers Also Need To Consider The Defensive Line

Cameron Heyward was able to collect eight sacks in 2024, but more impressively, he sacked Father Time by doing that at 35 years old. However, the Steelers cannot tempt fate for too long. They need to consider the future of the defensive line. Fans have been enamored with how Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl built up the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl teams from the trenches. They hope to see something similar to what they did with the offensive line happen for the defense. 

That means they have decisions to make regarding players like Larry Ogunjobi, who is expected to be a cap casualty, and Heyward's heir apparent Keeanu Benton. Fittipaldo said he could see them bringing in a veteran, keeping Benton where he is, or moving Benton; either way, he expects them to draft someone, considering how deep the 2025 draft is.

What do you think the Steelers should do about Jackson? Comment below! 

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