Concerning Analysis Paints Steelers' Recent Cornerback Signings As Terrible

The cornerback position was supposed to be a strength for the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the 2026 season. Instead, Joey Porter Jr. was traded and Jamel Dean is dealing with an ankle injury. Not only will rookie Daylen Everette have to step up, but so will some recent signings. General Manager Omar Khan brought in Sean Murphy-Bunting and Terrell Smith from NFC foes' practice squads. The goal now will be for someone to step up and perform. If not, the secondary could get shredded any given week if injuries continue and backups are relied on. The defense is in a tough spot.

Both Murphy-Bunting and Smith have some experience. Both are potentially an injury away to Everette or Asante Samuel Jr. from getting significant playing time. It's not easy going from a practice squad to an active roster. This is especially true when a player doesn't have a lot of time to get his feet wet during a transition. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham will have his hands full with the newcomers.

The good news for the Steelers is that DeShon Elliott is being designated to return from Injured Reserve (IR). Whenever he is able to come back, Jalen Ramsey will then be more usable in the cornerback spot to help out. 

There could be a big domino effect that really is dependent on Elliott's health. With that said, there might be some concern when it comes to the depth in the backend overall.

Insider Ray Fittipaldo hosted a fan chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday. Countless questions came in about Porter, which led to some curiosity about what has been done to fill the gaps. The beat writer delivered some bad news about the expectations surrounding guys like Murphy-Bunting and Smith. There's a reason the two guys weren't actively playing for their former franchises.

"I guess we'll find out, but there has to be reasons they weren't on active rosters," Fittipaldo wrote. "Maybe the injuries are part of the reason."

So, essentially, Fittipaldo isn't expecting too much from the new faces on the block. In addition to that, injuries could have played roles in their practice squad statuses. The Steelers are dealing with injuries and may have just brought some other potential contributors in who also may have had some ailments in 2026. The plan Khan and Co. originally had dating back to March did not come together. If anything, it has completely spiraled into a questionable strategy.

Every team deals with injuries in the middle of any given season. Not every organization, however, has to work through trading its best cornerback due to a contract dispute. This is what the Steelers are going through in the post-Porter era. The franchise made its bed, and now it has to lay in it whether the outcomes are positive or negative.

Pittsburgh has done what it can to fix a problem that is essentially created. The best possible scenario for the roster would be Elliott getting back and Dean recovering from injury. Then, there will be a formidable group to put onto the field. If Murphy-Bunting and/or Smith are getting a lot of playing time, though, it could lead to unfortunate defensive performances.

Steelers Have More Than Just Secondary Injuries To Deal With

On Thursday, it was reported that Michael Pittman Jr. is also now going to be shelved for several weeks. He was traded for in the offseason to provide stability at wide receiver. That has not yet been the case.

Khan's seat isn't necessarily warm. Despite that, he will receive a lot of criticism if the backend of the defense begins to cost the Steelers games as the season progresses.

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