Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Elijah Riley has signed with the New York Giants, the team announced on Thursday.
Riley played with the Steelers for two seasons, including last season where he played a significant role on special teams and in the team’s sub-packages. He joined in a slot cornerback competition and while he did not end up winning that over Chandon Sullivan, once injuries started to pile up across the defense, Riley picked up steam as a sub-package piece.
The biggest loss from Riley’s contributions come on special teams, where he played on all units and became one of the more productive special teamers in the NFL in 2023. The Steelers re-signed Miles Killebrew to help ease the burden of the losses on that unit.
Over the last few months, they have let James Pierre, Miles Boykin, and now Riley walk, leading to what will be an overhaul in the special teams units. Connor Heyward and Killebrew expect to be the biggest returners from those coverage units.
Meanwhile, the Giants have started to collect a bunch of former Steelers on the roster. Riley joins Boykin and Allen Robinson II on the team. While there is no guarantee that any of them make the team, Riley and Boykin will both have a chance to push for special teams roles with the team.