Steelers CB Anthony Averett Has ‘Plenty of Juice’ Left in Tank as He Attempts to Rejuvenate Career
The Steelers added a depth piece to their secondary through an unusual medium this offseason when they signed six-year veteran Anthony Averett following a tryout at the team’s rookie minicamp in May. Averett, 29, played four seasons in Baltimore to begin his career which gives the Steelers that familiarity.
Averett did not expect to get a call to tryout for a team during the rookie minicamp phase but did not shy away from the opportunity as he tries to rejuvenate his career after a few tough injuries.
“Not really, I kind of just go. Yeah, I just go,” Averett said. “I mean, hey, rookie — didn’t really expect to be here my seventh year in, hey, you know, life takes you different, you know, different places.”
Since entering the NFL in 2018, Averett has been on a team’s injured reserve at least four times and has not played a complete season since leaving Alabama. For Averett, he understands why some teams are too worried to sign him but is thankful for the Steelers and this opportunity.
“I feel like teams were scared away just to touch me a little bit (because of injury) — but hey, Pittsburgh is not,” Averett said. “I am here, I’m healthy — and I’m ready to go. I am here to show it, that’s the point. … I had a couple injuries my last two years. I’m finally fully healthy and I’m definitely in shape. I’ve got plenty of juice left.”
If Averett can stick on the active roster, he could provide the secondary with some much needed experience and versatility. While he played mainly as an outside cornerback in his career, Averett has logged over 200 snaps in the slot meaning he could be an inside-out player for the defense.
His career season came just three seasons ago and while still in his 20s, the Steelers could be the place that helps Averett get back onto his feet. With little veteran experience added to the cornerback room in the offseason, and the suspension of Cam Sutton, Averett has a fair chance to be on the final roster come the first week of the season. He will be pitted against guys like Beanie Bishop, Josiah Scott and Thomas Graham in the preseason.
Regardless, his experience and versatility will help him when it comes down to roster cuts but if any of those three young guys shine in training camp or the preseason, Averett could find himself on the outside looking in when it is all said and done.
18 • Anthony Averett, Cornerback, Alabama
5-foot-11, 185 pounds, 29 years old, 7th Season
Acquired: The Steelers signed Anthony Averett after a tryout at the team’s rookie minicamp. He signed his deal on May 12, 2024.
Last season: Anthony Averett started the 2023 season with the San Fransisco 49ers but did not stick and was later signed to the Detroit Lions practice squad. He spent a majority of his season on the Lions practice squad and did not appear in any games.
Career: The Baltimore Ravens drafted Anthony Averett in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Averett played in 11 games, mainly as a special teams player as he played 47% of the Ravens special teams snaps that season, and he recorded five tackles and two defended passes.
In 2019, Averett started three of his nine appearances as he made 15 tackles. The 2020 season is when Averett began to deal with injury problems that have derailed his career. While he bounced back from a bummed shoulder in 2021 and had a career year, he spent the 2022 season on and off the injured reserve.
In his breakout 2021 season, Averett started all 14 of his appearances and recorded a career-high 54 tackles, 11 defended passes and three interceptions. Following that breakout season, Averett took his talents to Vegas to suit up in the black-and-silver. He started six of his seven appearances but failed to make a real impact.
Over his first six seasons in the NFL, Averett has played in 51 games and received 27 starts. He has amasses 114 tackles, 23 passes defended and three interceptions.
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Tackles | INTs | PDs |
| 2018 | BAL | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 | BAL | 9 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | BAL | 10 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 7 |
| 2021 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 54 | 3 | 11 |
| 2022 | LVR | 7 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | SF/DET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
College: Anthony Averett spent four years at Alabama while playing on the football and track teams. During his rookie season, Averett appeared in just one game and failed to record any official stats. As a sophomore, Averett appeared in six games for the Crimson Tide, mostly on special teams. He recorded two tackles.
In 2016, Averett moved into a full-time role and played in all 15 of the Crimson Tide’s games. He logged a career-best 48 total tackles and eight defended passes. He posted that same exact stat line as a senior except he added his lone collegiate interception.
Over his four years at Alabama, Averett appeared in 36 games and logged 98 tackles, 16 defended passes and one interception. Averett won two National titles with the Crimson Tide, one coming in 2015 and the other during his senior season in 2017.
| Year | GP | TKLs | INTs | PDs |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 15 | 48 | 0 | 8 |
| 2017 | 14 | 48 | 1 | 8 |
Salary cap and future: Anthony Averett signed a veteran minimum contract to go to the Steelers. His one-year deal is worth $1.125 million in total money but if makes the team, he will only count for $985,000 against the team’s cap space.
With no guaranteed money on the contract, the Steelers could release Averett at any moment and not face any dead money penalties.
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