The Pittsburgh Steelers have holes to fill before the 2025 season and, with free agency officially open, they have begun the work to do just that. The team's cap situation is a favorable one to be able to make meaningful moves that will improve the roster at various positions.
One of the positions of need happens to be cornerback. The Steelers had Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson in 2024 but, Jackson is on his way out after agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The team went out on the first day of the NFL's negotiation period and reportedly came to an agreement on contract terms with Darius Slay from the Philadelphia Eagles. He is fresh off a 2024 season where he allowed 41 receptions on 75 targets and an 81.9 passer rating allowed when targeted in a Super Bowl-winning season for Philadelphia.
Slay, at one point, was considered among the top corners of the game. Now, far past his prime at the ripe age of 34, he comes to Pittsburgh in a similar fashion to Patrick Peterson in 2023.
The addition of Slay is a surprising one considering guys like Byron Murphy, D.J. Reed, Asante Samuel Jr., and Charvarius Ward were also available to talk to. The Steelers picked the oldest guy of the bunch over many who are not yet 30 years old, showing they still value experience.
But there's a reason why the Steelers were okay with signing a 34-year-old cornerback to a one-year deal.
The Darius Slay signing proves the Pittsburgh Steelers' faith in Cory Trice Jr. is higher than anyone thought
The Darius Slay addition signals more faith in Cory Trice than anyone has thought. The former 7th-round pick missed all of 2023 due to injury and was only healthy enough to play in 6 games in 2024. When he was healthy though, he showed promise in his limited action.
Trice got some time in the last game of the season against Cincinnati and lost a battle even the top corners in the league would struggle with covering Jamar Chase on an island most of the game. On the season, in 6 games, Trice allowed 17 receptions on 22 targets and a 93.6 passer rating when targeted.
The numbers in 2024 weren't eye-popping but Trice showed flashes of being able to handle the duties across from Joey Porter Jr. in the future. The Slay signing shows the Steelers may feel the same.
Instead of opting for one of the younger options available, the Steelers are going to bring in a veteran option to mentor their two young corners and help them develop into a formidable duo. Even if Slay plays as well as he did in 2024, his age is a big factor in how long he may stay.
Before the 2023 NFL Draft, Trice was viewed as having the talent to have been picked late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 of the NFL Draft if not for injury concerns. Those concerns lead to him falling to the Steelers in the seventh round.
Trice fits the mold of the type of corner the Steelers have been looking to employ on their roster. He is a tall, physical corner who can play well in press-man coverage but lacks the top-end speed many covet.
The coaches may have seen enough to not drop big money on one of the younger options out there and instead bring in a veteran presence to help develop their two young outside corners even further to improve the secondary.
The Steelers signing Slay shows they are ready to let Trice prove he can be their guy opposite Joey Porter Jr. It will be up to Trice to show their faith is not misplaced.
This is not to say that Slay is a token player and won't contribute in 2025. His 2024 tape is good, and he hasn't shown any significant signs of dropping off a cliff at 34 but, the faith in Trice must be strong to go this route when there were other options that could provide a much longer-term solution to the Steelers cornerback room.