Just when it looked like Cory Trice Jr. was set to make a triumphant return to the football field and offer a spark at the struggling cornerback position, Pittsburgh Steelers fans were hit with devastating news: Trice had suffered yet another injury setback.
Trice injured his hamstring during Pittsburgh's Friday Night Lights practice in training camp. This forced him to miss the 2025 preseason and begin the year on the 'IR-designated to return' list. The Steelers officially opened Trice's 21-day practice window to return on October 29, but after logging just one full practice, Trice sustained a knee injury and hasn't been able to practice since.
Now the third-year cornerback faces a brutal reality: this could be the end of his Steelers career (and possibly his NFL career).
Because of when the Steelers elected to open up Trice's practice window to return from IR, the Steelers have until next Wednesday, November 19, to elevate Trice from IR. Failing to do so would result in the cornerback staying on IR for the remainder of the season.
Though Trice is late in his practice window, he's still technically on IR, and we haven't been able to get an accurate read on the knee injury that popped up in recent weeks. Now, time is fleeting, and the once-promising cornerback could see his time soon end in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could turn the page on Cory Trice Jr. if he lands on season-ending IR
If Trice can't return to the field by next week, his 2025 season will be forfeit. Though the Pittsburgh Steelers could keep him around for the final season of his rookie contract in 2026, they may elect to waive him injured or move on from him during the 2026 offseason.
If Trice were a cat, he would have spent all nine lives by now. The talented cornerback had a lengthy injury history entering the NFL, which caused the Purdue prospect to fall all the way to the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, despite his remarkable skill set, including size, athletic traits, and ball production.
Sadly, the injuries have only escalated since being drafted by the Steelers.
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Trice's entire rookie season in 2023 was lost due to an ACL injury in training camp (his second season-ending knee injury since college). After rehabbing to work his way back to the field in 2024, Trice had an outstanding start to his second season before a significant hamstring injury cost him the majority of the year.
Now, on top of the hamstring he's been dealing with since the 2025 training camp, Trice also has a knee injury—the severity of which remains unknown.
Barring something miraculous, this looks like the end of the road for Cory Trice Jr. and his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.