Steelers Depth CB Could Have Huge Opportunity vs. Jaguars

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have cornerback questions. It is less due to the rotation where Joey Porter Jr. seems to be ascending and more due to the injuries plaguing the injury. Levi Wallace (foot) and Porter (calf) are both dealing with nagging injuries that could keep them out of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. Porter vowed to play, but Wallace’s status remains unclear.

With both players banged up at practice on Thursday, that left James Pierre as the other starting cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson. Pierre also played a handful of snaps on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams while Wallace was dealing with the foot injury that currently has him sidelined. If Pittsburgh even has to play Pierre in the dime packages, that is a step up for his usage. How confident is Pittsburgh in the depth cornerback? Despite past struggles, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin says they believe in Pierre.

“I like James Pierre,” Austin said. “James Pierre comes to work everyday. He started some games. I know he struggled a little bit in the past, but I think since then, when he’s had spot duty and has had an opportunity to help us with limited amount of snaps, he’s done a great job.”

This summer, Pierre struggled in the Steelers preseason games. That left his status on the roster questionable, but Cory Trice’s injury opened the door for Pierre to remain. Now, he is the fourth cornerback to work with, as Darius Rush is the last backup on the main roster. Austin’s quotes on Pierre this training camp were a bit more posted with trepidation about whether Pierre could be a backup cornerback or if he strictly held straight to gunner duties.

“He plays hard. But I thought he left some plays out there that he could’ve made,” Austin said. “So, we’ll continue to work with him to get him to where he needs to be. I think he’s still in a position where he brings good value to the team. But is he the 4th CB or the 5th CB and special teams guy? We don’t know that yet. We’ll work to find that out.”

Pierre is a critical member of the punt coverage and kick coverage unit, carving out a role for himself as one of the team’s best gunners over the years. But the team has struggled whenever he has played at outside cornerback. He got some work there last year due to injuries, helping lead the Steelers to a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. It remains to be seen if the Steelers can trust him, but they might have to against the Jaguars.