Chargers Sign Former Steelers Cornerback

The Los Angeles Chargers are signing former Steelers cornerback Chris Wilcox to a future’s contract, the team announced on Thursday. He spent training camp in Pittsburgh, but they released him and he did not return.

During that training, Wilcox had been in competition with incumbent James Pierre and others to be the team’s fourth outside cornerback, hoping to use his long frame and elite speed (he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash) as weapons, but was unable to secure a roster spot.

He played in 61 defensive snaps throughout the preseason, getting 26 snaps in the opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24 against the Buffalo Bills and 11 against the Atlanta Falcons. He was targeted one time in coverage and gave up one 8-yard completion, according to PFF. He finished the preseason with six tackles in all situations.

A 6-foot-2, 195-pound BYU product, Wilcox was a seventh-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. He never made the Bucs squad but was claimed on waivers by the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent most of the 2021 season on the practice squad but did not appear in a game.

The Colts released Wilcox from their practice squad this Sept. 13. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals to their practice squad on Dec. 28 for the final weeks of the season, but not retained and signed with the Steelers in January.