Trade Option Emerges For Steelers With Cornerback Depth Questionable At Best

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2026 NFL Draft believing that Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean would be the top two starting cornerbacks on the depth chart. As the team sits with a record of 2-2, one of those players is off the roster after being traded. The other is dealing with an injury and could potentially miss a little bit of time. This puts the secondary in a pretty tough spot. Rookie Daylen Everette will be called upon, and Sean Murphy-Bunting also could see some action in the coming weeks. Overall, however, General Manager Omar Khan might have to get to work on another addition.

If the Steelers stumble through the month of October, it will be interesting to see what the front office wants to do near the trade deadline. Prior to that, though, Khan and Co. could have a goal of acquiring reliable depth via the market. There aren't too many options out there, but Pittsburgh is going to be in a very difficult position if any more injuries occur.

This is why it will be important to keep tabs on league circles. Agents of players as well as executives will leak some information out there to potentially generate buzz. Something like this happened on Wednesday and it could pique Khan's interest. An AFC rival has a deep secondary and teams looking for help in the area might be interested in someone.

In Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano's Week 5 intel piece, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton was mentioned. He hasn't been able to get consistent playing time and is owed a good bit of money. General Manager Brett Veach could be getting ready to take calls on the defender if organizations have a little bit of interest.

"One potential option is Kansas City's Kristian Fulton, who is in and out of the Chiefs' lineup," Fowler wrote. "He is owed real money -- $5 million of his $9.75 million base salary is guaranteed -- but perhaps the Chiefs and Lions could split the bill to facilitate a deal."

While the insiders were connecting Fulton to the Detroit Lions, if the shoe fits, the Steelers belong in the discussion. The corner has 54 career starts in 68 appearances. His tenure in Kansas City has been more so as a role player, so it could be good for him to experience a change of scenery. He is in the second season of a two-year, $20 million contract. He has the pedigree for what Pittsburgh might be looking for if the goal is to upgrade the depth chart.

At this point in the season, a splash trade to completely change the scene in the secondary is unlikely. The Steelers were on the other end of that when they shipped Porter off to the Dallas Cowboys. If Khan were to make a move, it would be modest yet strategic. Pittsburgh is injured and lacking reliable help at the cornerback spot. Fulton could be a very good addition.

This will be a situation to monitor as the weeks progress. The Steelers have a schedule that will allow them to remain competitive through October. At that point, it will be up for Khan to decide how to approach the trade deadline. Even sooner than that, Fulton is a name that could be discussed in Pittsburgh's building.

Steelers Now Have New Need For 2027 And Beyond

While Pittsburgh might need to figure out the long-term quarterback situation, cornerback has become a big-time concern as well. Porter is gone and won't be coming back. Everette could be someone to get excited about; however, a true lockdown guy might not be on the current roster. Khan will be tasked with figuring out how to rebuild that room once the offseason rolls around. In the meantime, acquiring a reliable veteran such as Fulton is probably the best option.

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