Tomlin ‘Comfortable’ with Patrick Peterson in Slot, Despite Lack of Reps
PITTSBURGH — Elijah Riley and Chandon Sullivan will continue their battle to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ slot corner through the third and final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday — and possibly beyond.
The Steelers have a third option when it comes to who plays in the slot this season, but head coach Mike Tomlin said it’s not a priority for him to see the other option there.
That option is starting outside cornerback Patrick Peterson, who expects to play in the slot a good bit this season, which is largely new to the veteran. He played just seven slot reps in 2022 per Pro Football Focus, and the most he’s ever had in his career was 112 back in 2016.
Peterson has just one rep in the slot so far this preseason, one snap of Dime defense against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday, but Tomlin said that getting Peterson more work in the slot is not among his priorities for the final preseason tune-up.
“I’m comfortable with what I’ve seen,” he said. “There won’t be an additional emphasis in that regard.”
That means that Riley and Sullivan will get every rep they need to continue their battle to be the slot cornerback whenever Peterson is playing outside.
“It’s been tight,” Tomlin said. “Both guys have been above the line. Both guys have made splash plays. So we’ll continue to rotate them this last game the way we have in the most recent outing.”
Peterson playing in the slot is just not about his comfort level there and abilities compared to Riley and Sullivan. In order for Peterson to move inside, the Steelers need rookie second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. to be ready to play on the outside. Porter has been dealing with an ankle injury and made his first preseason appearance, albeit with limited reps, against the Bills, earning his first pro interception.
The Steelers have been comfortable with multiple slot options in years past, so it’s not as if the battle is for ultimate primacy. Last season, Art Maulet played run downs while Cam Sutton moved in from outside cornerback on passing downs. In the past, before Sutton was a starter, he and Mike Hilton split the slot role in a similar fashion.
“When you’ve got red paint, you paint your barn red,” Tomlin said, using one of his trademarked expressions. “We’ll do whatever it is from a matchup perspective whatever it is to give us an advantage week-in, week-out to be successful. I just think that’s a function of today’s game.”
So while the battle rages on, the end result might not be whether or not someone makes the team, but the roles that each player earns for the regular season.
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