The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a much needed win against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 and are still in the driver's seat for the AFC North division crown. The Steelers' defense has made massive strides in recent weeks, and that was evident as ever against the Bengals when they produced two defensive touchdowns and held the Bengals' offense to just 12 points.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers tight end Darnell Washington runs a route during Pittsburgh's 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 of the 2025 NFL Regular Season.
Many throughout Steeler Nation are attributing the significant defensive improvement across recent weeks to the shuffling that Head Coach Mike Tomlin and company did at the safety position. Those changes involved moving All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to safety full-time, a move that was originally necessitated by injuries, and making newly acquired Kyle Dugger a full-time starter alongside him.
While the adjustments at safety were needed following DeShon Elliott's knee injury and ineffectiveness from Juan Thornhill (which eventually led to his release), these adjustments opened questions around the cornerback position given some of the struggles from the group outside of Joey Porter Jr. None other than James Pierre, a fifth-year undrafted free agent (who likely just had his best performance of his career against arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league in Week 11), has risen in the ranks.
Pierre's career day against the Bengals saw him produce two passes defended, one which would have been a large gain to All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. On the most recent episode of his podcast, The Christian Kuntz Podcast, Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz and outside linebacker Nick Herbig raved about Pierre's ability, and are far from surprised by the results during the game.
"Wo [James Pierre] is unbelievable," said Kuntz when raving about Pierre. "Wo is an undrafted free agent, 2020, one of the few COVID year free agents to make the team. Rookie undrafted free agent to make the team. Has played the most snaps for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the last five years."
Pierre first managed to get onto the field for the Steelers on special teams, and performed at a decently high level which earned him the respect of many of the coaches and players.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. and James Pierre celebrate after a big time turnover during the 2025 NFL season.
In his second season, Pierre found his way onto the field on defense for 43% of the team's defensive snaps, but has largely been inconsistent throughout his time on defense, until this season.
"Everyday bro," Kuntz says on Pierre's ability to make plays. "He's been making those plays for five years. I've been seeing it for five years. He makes those plays, I don't understand it."
The development that Pierre has on display this season has been a definite blessing for a defense that has been one of the worst against the pass until recent weeks.
Pierre has often shown throughout training camp, practices, and even the preseason that his ability to succeed in the NFL is there. Him proving he can sustain the level of success over the next few weeks will be key to the defense sustaining this high level of play. He has shown in previous years that ability to make plays, but the sustained success while being in the starting lineup has been the missing piece.
Steelers Reinforcements For The Secondary Are On The Way, But An Exact Date Is Unknown
Recently the Steelers were able to make a rare splash midseason by signing a free agent, and that was when they acquired cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.. Samuel Jr. was recently given a clean bill of health after offseason surgery and went on a campaign with multiple NFL teams to find the right home for himself, and that resulted in him signing with the Steelers on November 12th ahead of Week 11.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. seen taking a knee while participating in a regular season practice with his new teammates at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Despite that signing, it is still unclear when Samuel Jr. will end up suiting up for game action for the Steelers. He was unsigned throughout the entire offseason and season to date, so Samuel Jr. did not have a training camp or any ramp up leading up to the season. That may end up holding him back several weeks before seeing the field. Whenever he does manage to get up to game speed, he will be a welcomed addition to a cornerback group that has struggled with both injuries and performance throughout the season.
Do you think Pierre will sustain this higher level of play throughout the rest of the season? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share all of your Steelers takes with me on X @matt_papiernik and follow me.
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