Steelers Make Quick Move And Release Former Promising Defender

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a better idea of what the team is going to look like at the start of the 2026 season than they did prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, but there are still going to be plenty of changes that are made. Players will be moved and other players will be acquired, and that is especially true leading up to training camp at the end of July. There is a lot of time before the season begins, and many players are fighting to stay on the roster.

It was announced on Tuesday that the Steelers were going to be waiving cornerback Cory Trice Jr. with a failed physical. He has struggled with injuries throughout his entire football career, dating all the way back to his college days at Purdue. He had bad injury luck in Pittsburgh as well, and now he is being released to waivers. The NFL sent out a notice with the news on Tuesday evening.

Trice was drafted by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it was thought that the Steelers had gotten a steal with the pick. He had health concerns throughout the pre-draft process that made him fall in the event, and those concerns turned to reality as he only played a handful of games in the black and gold.

Trice became a fan favorite almost immediately after being drafted as he was seen as a potential steal. He was selected in the same draft as Joey Porter Jr., and a lot of fans probably thought that those two were going to be the franchise's starting cornerbacks for at least the next four seasons. Obviously, that did not pan out, and that is largely due to injury problems.

He never got to see the field during his rookie season in 2023 as he suffered a torn ACL during training camp, and that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. He was able to rehab his knee and he made the team in 2024, and he played in a chunk of games throughout that season while dealing with a few different hamstring issues. He then didn't see the field at all in 2025 as he was dealing with both a hamstring issue and a knee problem that wound up getting him placed on injured reserve.

Throughout Trice's first three seasons, he played in just six games with one start, and all of those games came during the 2024 season. He will be remembered for his interception against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of the 2024 season, which wound up being the game-sealing pick that allowed the Steelers to start the season 2-0.

Steelers Have Too Much Talent In The Cornerback Room

The Steelers didn't need to keep Trice around as the Steelers have a good amount of depth in the cornerback room. Porter is clearly the top dog, while Jamel Dean was signed to a great deal during free agency and will be the other outside corner. Asante Samuel Jr. provides a ton of experience and talent behind those two, while Brandin Echols proved he could be effective in the slot during the 2025 season. Jalen Ramsey will primarily play safety, but he has the versatility to play corner. On top of that, Pittsburgh also drafted Daylen Everette in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. There wasn't much room for Trice, not to mention Donte Kent, who is still on the roster after being a seventh-round pick in 2025. 

It is sad to see Trice go, and it will be interesting to see if any teams show interest on the waiver wire.

What do you think of the Steelers moving on from Trice? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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