Mike Tomlin has a terrific track record as the Steelers' head coach, but he's also been known to make some head-scratching roster decisions from time to time.
Last year, Coach Tomlin elected to start veteran cornerback Levi Wallace until the bye week before deploying Joey Porter Jr. Likewise, every fan can share their frustration for stunting Broderick Jones' development by forcing him to play right tackle—a position he hardly played in high school and college.
Now Tomlin has another decision to make... and it's one fans could riot over.
In Week 18, the Pittsburgh Steelers will attempt to slow down one of the highest-powered passing offenses in the league—spearheaded by quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals have two lethal wide receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins who cause a heap of trouble to opposing defensive backs.
Meanwhile, Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson is coming off arguably his worst game of the season against the Chiefs, in which he allowed four of four passes to be completed in his coverage for 80 yards. During practice this week, Jackson's back injury flared up, and he was only a limited participant.
All the while, Steelers second-year cornerback Cory Trice Jr. is coming off a game in which he earned a 90.1 coverage grade and was the second-highest-graded player on the team, according to Pro Football Focus.
Cory Trice Jr. has an 87.8 coverage grade on the season per PFF (1st among all players with 100+ snaps) and has allowed a passer rating of 45.2 this year.
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) January 2, 2025
But there's a chance he doesn't get a helmet for #Steelers this week because that's what this team does.
But instead of making an effortless decision to start Trice and let Jackson sit this week, the Steelers might not even give Trice a helmet on gameday.
Steelers could make a colossal mistake if Cory Trice Jr. doesn't play
For whatever reason, Mike Tomlin has a hard time recognizing the talent on his own roster at times. Cory Trice would have been a Day 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft if not for his extensive injury history. But even after tearing his ACL before his rookie season, Trice still looks like the player draft analysts thought the Steelers could be getting.
Though Trice missed most of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury, the talented defensive back has allowed just 39 receiving yards over five games in coverage while recording an interception. This equates to an opposing quarterback passer rating of just 45.2 when throwing at Trice.
What's equally as impressive is Trice's 87.8 coverage grade from PFF, which ranks 1st in the NFL among all cornerbacks with over 100 snaps this season. Trice's outstanding blend of size, fluidity, and feel for the game give him prototype traits at the CB position that are already paying off.
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Sadly, there's a real chance this quietly impressive player doesn't even suit up on Saturday when the Steelers host the Bengals. If Tomlin deems Donte Jackson healthy enough to start, this means that Cameron Sutton and Beanie Bishop could be active for nickel duties while James Pierre is likely to take the final spot because of his special teams ability.
With Joey Porter Jr. inactive last week with an injury, Pierre got the start, but after getting dusted in coverage and allowing an early touchdown reception, the Steelers turned to Trice, who had an excellent performance against the Chiefs despite the team's struggles on Christmas Day.
Porter is healthy and ready to return this week, but the polarizing cornerback was called for a whopping six penalties against the Bengals the last time these two teams faced.
Cory Trice Jr. still has a lot to prove, but the young cornerback has been nothing short of impressive when he has played this season, and not giving him a helmet against the Bengals would be a travesty.