Desmond King Buzz Begins in Steelers Locker Room
PITTSBURGH — When Desmond King arrives in the Steelers locker room on Monday, he will already be a player with plenty of buzz among his teammates. A talented blitzer and former All-Pro as a defensive back, Pittsburgh signed King to help strengthen the defensive back room after the Texans cut him. They now have three slot cornerbacks who have different skillsets, and seven cornerbacks overall.
Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley pushed each other all summer to the tune of bettering one another. Now, they both made the roster, and even with the impending arrival of King into the locker room, they take it all in stride. Because, as Sullivan put it, the NFL is a business, and there is no reason to hold it against the guy you are competing against. So, Sullivan and Riley now call each other close friends after a battle that landed both on the roster.
“That’s just the NFL, there’s competition everywhere,” Sullivan said. “You can’t get complacent, and so having a guy like Eli and making the plays he made, it made me dig deep and challenge him right back. It’s pretty cool that we’re both on the 53, and I want to do what we’ve been doing.”
Riley became so nervous during the cut-down day that he went to Phipps Conservatory and went through the Botanical Gardens to clear his mind. Sullivan comes across as the more fiery, upbeat guy, while Riley is the lowkey player of that friendship. But their support of one another goes further than just on the field. When 4:00 p.m. passed, Sullivan called Riley, congratulating one another on making the roster. Now, with the impending arrival of King, they are not sweating it one bit.
“He’s just more competition, and the best guy will be out on the field,” https://twitter.com/FarabaughFB/status/1696620915423932477?s=20″>Sullivan
said. “Adding another person allows us all to dig deep and continue to prove ourselves. Let’s all get better together. We all want to show we belong here.”
A certified brotherhood is already among the cornerbacks, specifically Riley and Sullivan. Interestingly, all three profile to be core special teamers. How the playing time will be divided remains anyone’s guess for now, but with all three on the roster, they are set to embrace one another rather than view it as a fight for playing time. Sullivan and Riley pushed each other onto the 53-man roster throughout the summer, and now they hope to do that just again with King’s arrival.
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