Steelers: Boykin finally getting his chance?

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback Brandon Boykin in a trade with Philadelphia just before the season started in the wake of 2nd round draft pick Senquez Golson’s shoulder injury.

Both parties were very excited, with fans very pleased with the acquisition following a draft that many felt didn’t address the secondary enough. Boykin was extremely excited about the chance to play for Pittsburgh after repeatedly being looked over in a strong Eagles secondary.

Since then, the trade has amounted to nothing.

Players like Antwon Blake, and Ross Cockrell were surprisingly placed ahead of Boykin on the depth chart, and it has caused Boykin to see next to nothing in terms of field time.

What Steelers fans thought of as a trade for a player that could really revolutionize a struggling secondary turned into a trade that has left many fans confused about the intentions of the trade, and why the Steelers haven’t given Boykin the nod.

With a huge Week 8 game coming up for Pittsburgh against the division leading Bengals, news has struck that starting cornerback William Gay is likely to miss the game, the first time he may sit out of a game in his 9-year career.

If Gay is to miss the game, Boykin is set to make his first start at cornerback for the Steelers, and he’ll need to perform against a Bengals passing game that has been on absolute fire the last few weeks.

Last week, Boykin was forced to jump into the game after William went down with his shoulder injury, and head coach Mike Tomlin was pleased with his efforts, and expects to perform just as well this week. Tomlin stated per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review;

"“If Will Gay is not available to us, we’ll expect him to be a positive contributor to our efforts. He was in many instances last Sunday.”"

If there’s a time for Boykin to step up and prove himself to the Steelers, now is that time. If he can give a solid effort, and help lead the Steelers to a victory this Sunday, more playing time will follow, and the acquisition won’t seem so pointless.

Next: Randy Moss calls Antonio Brown NFL's 1A receiver

More from Still Curtain

Home/Steelers News