The Pittsburgh Steelers made one thing clear during the 2025 offseason: they were going to do everything in their power to maximize their chances of winning now. That included signing a 41-year-old quarterback and making two uncharacteristic, blockbuster trades. While the team's focus on the present improved their roster for 2025, some young players are paying the price.
One promising player in particular was completely screwed over by Pittsburgh's offseason moves—Cory Trice Jr. The talented cornerback and 2023 draft pick was primed for a big role in his third season in 2025, but his hopes of a future starting CB in the NFL quickly disappeared.
The Pittsburgh Steelers never gave Cory Trice Jr. the chance he deserved
Following the 2024 season, veteran Donte Jackson was set to hit free agency. For a brief moment in time, Trice was slated to line up as the starting boundary cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr. We know that this wasn't going to last and that Pittsburgh wanted to add depth and talent to the position.
They did that... and then some.
In free agency, the Steelers inked veteran and Super Bowl champion Darius Slay to a one-year $10 million contract. They also came to terms on a two-year deal with former New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols.
Though the Steelers didn't address the cornerback position until the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they took Central Michigan's Donte Kent. It was the unforeseen blockbuster move of the offseason that buried Trice's chances of making an impact.
With Pittsburgh shockingly sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami, the Steelers received Jalen Ramsey in the draft from the Dolphins. Now the former All-Pro cornerback instantly slots in atop the depth chart.
And just like that, in one offseason, Trice went from a potential 25-year-old starter to, at best, the team's fourth cornerback in 2025. What's worse is that, despite all of the talent displayed when healthy last season, he's not even a lock to make the roster this year.
Trice will now compete with Brandin Echols, Beanie Bishop Jr., James Pierre, and Donte Kent to be one of the final cornerbacks to crack the 53-man roster. While we can't blame the Steelers for adding CB depth, this is a fate Trice didn't deserve.
In Week 2 of the 2024 season, Trice logged 21 snaps against the Denver Broncos and displayed outstanding coverage skills, allowing just nine yards on two targets. The young cornerback also recorded a game-saving interception in the end zone in the second half. This led to a 90.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Unfortunately, Trice injured his hamstring on special teams after playing just one defensive snap in Week 3, and he wouldn't see the field again until Week 16. Still, when he was finally healthy in Week 17, Trice recorded an 83.9 overall grade and 90.1 coverage grade on 47 defensive snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The following week, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin decided to leave him on an island with Bengals All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase in his first NFL start, and things went about as you would expect. On the season, Trice earned a respectable 75.3 PFF coverage grade—the best of any defensive back on the team and better than Ramsey's grade with the Dolphins last season.
Trice has been at the mercy of injuries that have attempted to derail his career, but just when he was finally healthy, the Steelers robbed him of any chance to make an impact as a starting cornerback this season.
At 6'3'' and 206 pounds with 4.47 speed and impressive hip fluidity, Trice possesses unnatural movement skills for a big defensive back. These were clearly seen on tape last season.
As Steelers training camp kicks off, Trice's best-case scenario is to attempt to solidify himself as a second-string boundary cornerback. Thankfully, his experience covering the slot and even playing some safety in college could help his chances of sticking around.
Still, this slept on talent has the size, athletic traits, skills, and instincts to be an NFL starter, but the Pittsburgh Steelers destroyed any chance of that happening with the win-now moves they made this offseason.