Los Angeles Rams Sign former Steelers Cornerback

The Los Angeles Rams have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, the team announced on Wednesday.
Witherspoon had been a free agent throughout the 2024 offseason, despite having played in and started all 17 games for the Rams in 2023.

Last season, Witherspoon made 52 tackles, three for a loss, recovered two fumbles, defended 14 passes and intercepted three passes.

The 29-year-old California native spent two seasons with the Steelers from 2021-22, playing in 13 games and making seven starts. He first joined the Steelers as a late-camp addition on a trade from the Seattle Seahawks in 2021.

After being forced to play extensively in Week 2, just a few days after his trade, and struggling, Witherspoon was inactive for most of the season, but eventually got back into the regular rotation and started three of the final six games.

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He entered 2022 penciled in as one of the team’s starting outside cornerbacks and he started the first three games of the season, but suffered a serious hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns that ended up effectively ending his season. Witherspoon attempted to come back for a Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but struggled and did not play again that season.

The Steelers do not have any experienced depth at outside cornerback, except for Anthony Averett on the practice squad. Second-year players Darius Rush and Cory Trice are providing the depth behind starters Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, with Trice playing in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons while Porter was briefly checked out for an injury.