The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans are in very different places as franchises right now. Pittsburgh is coming off a 2022 season that started rather grimly, but as quarterback Kenny Pickett began to ascend, the team almost crawled their way into a playoff spot. The team is expected to be competing for a postseason berth in 2023. The Texans on the other hand were 3-13-1 in 2022 and won the right to draft quarterback CJ Stroud as the future of the team on offense and traded up to get Will Anderson Jr. as a foundational pass rusher.
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Steelers newest cornerback Desmond King seen here as a member of the Houston Texans has shown a knack for getting his hands on the ball throughout his career.
Desmond King, a veteran player in Houston was released as the team looked to try out some of their younger cornerbacks and was scooped up by the Steelers to add to the depth at the position. King spoke to the media in his new home for the first time after practice on Monday and addressed the dichotomy between the two franchises.
"There are processes knowing that the Texans are in a rebuilding process and at the same time, everybody is expected to get better as a team," King said via Chris Adamski of the Tribune Review. "I know this here [Pittsburgh] is a top organization with a great leader as a head coach. Me coming to this position is a good opportunity for me."
The Texans have a mix of veteran cornerbacks with experience, like former Pittsburgh corner Steven Nelson and former Seattle Seahawks draft pick Shaquill Griffin. But they also have some inexperienced players, like 2022 3rd overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. and Ka'dar Hollman, who has bounced around the league on rosters and practice squads. The team also picked up defensive back Alex Austin on waivers from the Buffalo Bills.
Matt Patterson / AP Photo
Former Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson becomes the veteran leader of the Houston Texans cornerback room after the departure of Desmond King to Pittsburgh.
When a team is rebuilding, it is important to have some veterans around that the younger players can learn from. Despite King being a former All-Pro in 2018 and then playing in 78% of defensive snaps for the Texans last year, they decided to move on. For a team like Pittsburgh, where the cornerback room was a potential concern, the team adds a very capable veteran that they will still be figuring out the proper role for.
King also offers some versatility as a returner, having done both punt return and kickoff return since his time with the then-San Diego Chargers. The Steelers are rolling with Calvin Austin III as the returner, but will have King as a potential option in case of an injury to Austin or the currently listed backup Gunner Olszewski.
King expressed to Dale Lolley of Steelers.com that for him wanting to be on a winning team at this point in his career, Pittsburgh made the most sense after the Texans cut him. The other thing King offers is versatility, which seems to be the buzzword of the offseason in the addition of defensive backs. King said the team has already expressed to him that it is in their plans to have him moving around the secondary.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin A Motivating Factor In King Signing
While he might downplay his own role in players wanting to play for Pittsburgh, Head Coach Mike Tomlin's reputation around the league has certainly had an impact on the guys the team brought in this offseason. Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson expressed wanting to play for Tomlin in his opening press conference as a Steelers defensive back and King shares that same feeling.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / x: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has high expectations for both his 2023 offense and defense as they get closer to the regular season.
King had initially taken to Twitter / X to express how excited he was to join Pittsburgh, but elaborated via Lolley just how important playing for Tomlin was in the process of putting pen to paper. He had initially met Tomlin at the NFL Scouting Combine and Senior Bowl in 2017 when he was a prospect coming out of Iowa.
"Just what kind of coach he is, somebody who is going to keep it real," King said. "He's a coach that's going to tell you when you're right, tell you when you're wrong, uplift you. At the same time, he's going to tell you what you need to improve on. I just know what kind of coach he is and the feedback other people have given me as well."
After seven years away from a black and gold jersey in Iowa, King will don a different black and gold in Pittsburgh. He's excited to get to work and get some wins which is what he came to Pittsburgh to do.
What did you think about King's comments on playing for a rebuilding Texans team? What do you think he can do for Pittsburgh? Comment below!
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