The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced their initial 53-man roster ahead of the 2025 campaign, and there are plenty of surprises included. Finally, Steelers fans know what is happening at each position, but some of the answers they received to their burning questions might not add up.
Chief among them is at the cornerback position. Naturally, the additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darisu Slay alongside Joey Porter Jr. put a significant squeeze on the position. It led to Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice Jr. being on the roster bubble, and massive question marks for the futures of James Pierre and seventh-round pick Donte Kent.
Trice landed on injured reserve and will have a chance to return later this year. Bishop and Pierre were cut, giving one of the biggest surprises of the roster. Bishop’s status was put into question ahead of the preseason finale, but it was all but solidified that he would be cut after he failed to log a single snap in the third preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. The assumption from that scenario is that Pierre would keep his job due to special teams experience, but he was let go in favor of Kent.
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As it stands, Kent is the second man up in the Steelers' cornerback room after free agent acquisition Brandin Echols. He’s listed on the Steelers' official depth chart as a kick returner and cornerback.
Of course, Kent missed the entire preseason due to injury after suffering a lower-body injury in the Friday Night Lights scrimmage, so his future in Pittsburgh is far from solidified. After all, this initial announcement of the 53-man roster will undergo several changes in the coming weeks.
With that in mind, Kent is likely headed to the injured reserve list at some point. Whether or not he’ll be able to return is another story. Regardless, once he is sent to injured reserve, assuming he will be, the Steelers will likely bring Pierre back to fill his role on special teams. Pierre should have no issues clearing waivers and should be readily available in the coming days.
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If Kent doesn’t go to IR, then Trice’s return later this season will likely send Kent to the practice squad. Of course, by then, there could be significant shakeups due to other injuries, so everything is on the table.
Nonetheless, Kent’s inclusion on the initial roster does not grant him safety for the 2025 season. Since he missed most of training camp in his rookie campaign, the Steelers will surely bring him back to camp next year to give him a second chance.