The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have a desire to improve the cornerback room after a year where they found a young star in Joey Porter Jr., but the spot opposite of him remained a significant question. There are multiple avenues they could take to address it, but one of the avenues least talked about is signing Commander cornerback Kendall Fuller.
Fuller is arguably the third-best cornerback that will theoretically be possible to acquire. But he will hit the open market more likely than not, meaning that someone like the Steelers could have a significant opportunity to snap him up. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz believes they should do just that.
“The Steelers have some need at cornerback, especially if they decide to move Patrick Peterson to safety full-time. Fuller was the only Commanders cornerback last season with strong coverage numbers. His coverage DVOA was similar to those of L’Jarius Sneed and Marshon Lattimore, although he did allow a lot of touchdowns. In Pittsburgh, he could play opposite Joey Porter Jr. and take the easier assignment while Porter works on the opposition’s No. 1 receiver. Fuller should be good enough to allow Pittsburgh’s safeties to shade toward Porter’s man,” Schatz wrote.
Fuller is 29 and has experience playing both outside and in the slot. That’s the type of versatility the Steelers could look for, and the former Chiefs cornerback has Super Bowl-winning insight to him as well. Over his career in Washington and Kansas City, Fuller has racked up 16 interceptions while being a solid starter for the better part of the last ten years in the NFL.
It’s not necessarily a long-term play, considering Fuller is 29. Still, his play has not dropped off, and he would give the Steelers an excellent cornerback option with versatility throughout their defense. So, it makes sense, though Fuller’s contract demands will paint the picture on just how likely this signing could be with an expected strong market for his services coming up.