Promising Steelers CB Leads List of Inactives vs. Browns
PITTSBURGH — Outside of George Pickens being inactive, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. leads the list of Steelers players who are out for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium.
In addition to Trice, Kyle Allen (3rd QB), offensive lineman Max Scharping and defensive lineman Dean Lowry are the other inactives for the game. All are healthy scratches. Allen will serve as the No. 3 emergency quarterback.
The Steelers activated Trice from the injured reserve list on Thursday. Wednesday was the final day of Trice’s 21-day practice window, and Trice needed to be added to the 53-man roster on Thursday, or he would have been forced to miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
Trice has been out since suffering a hamstring injury while covering a punt against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 22. He opened his 21-day practice window to return to work on Nov. 14, meaning he has to be elevated from the injured reserve list by Thursday, or he will be forced to miss the rest of the season.
Trice had been a full participant in practice ahead of the Steelers’ Week 12 game against the Cleveland Browns and in the Wednesday session last week. But Trice was limited in practice both Wednesday and Thursday last week before being ruled out of the team’s Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday.
The team’s seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Purdue, Trice missed his entire rookie season with an ACL injury. He played in just three games this year before his hamstring injury set him back once again. In three games, he had two tackles, one pass breakup and an interception in the end zone against the Denver Broncos.
Trice has been a player with high hopes from the Steelers, despite being a seventh-round draft pick and has been considered by some a potential future starter.
Trice had a clutch red zone interception in the third quarter of the Steelers’ Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos. It also marked Trice’s first career interception. After missing his entire rookie season due to an ACL injury, Trice’s teammates were thrilled for him to get rewarded with a game-changing interception.
“Cory stepped up in the moment,” defensive tackle Cam Heyward said. “What a heck of a way for a guy who was hurt all last year to be ready for that moment and make a big play for us and keep seven (points) off the board.”
Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt was also proud of Trice.
“How about Cory Trice? All that he’s been able overcome. Just seeing all the work he puts in, to see him get that interception is huge,” Watt said.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
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