The Pittsburgh Steelers not only made acquisitions at the trade deadline, but they also watched the landscape change across the league. After watching the Baltimore Ravens trade for former Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, they saw their rival make another surprising trade.
Multiple reports indicated that the Baltimore Ravens made a move at the trade deadline for former Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White from the Los Angeles Rams. While the Rams moving on doesn’t come as a surprise–as they previously gave White permission to seek a trade–the Ravens making this move appears to signal concern for their secondary.
The Ravens rank last in the NFL in passing yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed per game. This move hopes to bolster their secondary as they seek a second consecutive AFC North title. Currently, the Ravens trail the Steelers at 6-3 by virtue of win percentage.
White, a former first-round pick out of LSU, was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2017. His career has been a successful one as he earned multiple All-Pro honors, two Pro Bowl selections, and co-led the NFL in interceptions in 2019.
After his first All-Pro season, the Bills rewarded White with a 4-year $70M contract in 2020. However after his contract extension, White had multiple injuries that prevented him from starting no more than 11 games in a season. After tearing his achilles tendon last season, the Bills elected to release him this past offseason. White signed with the Rams shortly after.
The Steelers will face White and the Ravens twice along with their other four divisional games. The back half of the schedule includes these games, the upcoming Washington Commanders, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. The Steelers prepared for this slate by acquiring wide receiver Mike Williams from the New York Jets and pass rusher Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers.