IR Return Will Have to Wait for Key Pittsburgh Steelers Defender

The Pittsburgh Steelers have downgraded cornerback Cory Trice Jr. to out for Sunday’s Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens, the team announced on Saturday.

Trice remains on the injured reserve list. The Steelers opened his 21-day practice window on Thursday, so they still have plenty of time to make a decision about the second-year cornerback.

Trice, who missed all of his rookie season in 2023 with an ACL injury, suffered a hamstring injury while covering a punt against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. 

He was hoping to return this week, but despite being a full participant in practice, will not dress against the Ravens. 

“I’m pushing for this week,” Trice said on Wednesday.

The Steelers’ seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Trice has been an exciting prospect since he joined the team, with 6-foot-3 size and advanced coverage technique for a player of his experience level. The idea of pairing Trice with another big, physical cornerback from the same draft class in Joey Porter Jr. could set the Steelers up at the position for years.

Though Trice was only a seventh-rounder, that hype was at least somewhat grounded in reality. Coming out of Purdue, he was expected to be an early Day Three or late Day Two draft pick, but fell due to injury concerns.

Those concerns have proven legitimate, with two major injuries and just three games played over two season. But as Trice rounds back into the fold at mid-season, the Steelers will certainly want to get more than a short glimpse of what he’s capable of.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cory Trice at practice on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

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