The Pittsburgh Steelers’ cornerback room took a hit fast, and the response came just as quickly.
After the Week 4 primetime loss to the Cleveland Browns dropped Pittsburgh to 2-2, the Steelers had already dealt Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys. Then Jamel Dean went down with an injury and is likely to miss time, leaving the team short on help at a spot that suddenly looked thin.
So Pittsburgh made a move.
According to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer, the Steelers are signing veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad. Pelissero reported Monday, "The Steelers are signing veteran CB Sean Murphy-Bunting off the Bucs' practice squad, per source," Pelissero reported Monday.
Murphy-Bunting brings six years of NFL experience and a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Buccaneers. He has 11 interceptions in his career, including three in 2024, the last year he played in the NFL.
He was not a starter, or even a backup, last season, but Pittsburgh is clearly banking on the value of experience here. With Porter gone and Dean injured, the Steelers needed another body for the depth chart, and Murphy-Bunting gives them a veteran option at a position that has become a concern.
It’s not the kind of move that changes the outlook of the season on its own, but it does add some intrigue to a group that needed reinforcement. And it may not be the last adjustment Pittsburgh makes, either, with the team now having lost two cornerbacks - one by trade and one by injury - as the season moves along.
In Other News...
Joey Porter Split Just Turned Into Something Steelers Fans Hate
Joey Porter Jr. has already settled into his new football home in Dallas, and his first game there gave Cowboys fans plenty to like on the defensive side. For Steelers fans, though, the familiar name attached to the move makes the whole split sting a little more, because this was never going to feel like a routine trade involving a talented young corner.
The bigger aftershock came after the game, when Joey Porter Sr. took to social media with a video aimed at the Steelers, accusing the organization of treating his son in a way he clearly did not appreciate. The backdrop here is a contract standoff that reportedly included a deal worth up to $28 million per season, but with the second year not fully guaranteed, and that gap appears to have been enough to push the relationship past the point of repair. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Dream WR Option For Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers have spent the opening stretch of the season looking for more juice at wide receiver, and the search has not gotten any easier despite the offseason additions meant to help Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh still wants more proven talent in that room, but the options remain tricky with the current depth chart and the usual trade and free-agency hurdles that come with chasing help in October.
Tyreek Hill suddenly looms as the kind of name that can change the conversation, even with the major knee injury he is working back from. NFL insider Adam Schefter, citing Hills agent Drew Rosenhaus, reported that the star receiver is in negotiations with multiple teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, which leaves Pittsburgh monitoring a possible dream fit while also knowing it may not be the favorite landing spot. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers CB Injury Crunch Could Push Familiar Veteran Onto Radar
With injuries thinning out the cornerback room, the Steelers are doing what teams in late-season roster churn often do and keeping a close eye on familiar names who might help without much risk. One of those options is Trevon Diggs, who is currently on the Seahawks practice squad and has the kind of background that can make a quick fit more realistic if Pittsburgh decides it needs another body on the back end.
Diggs also comes with a built-in connection to head coach Mike McCarthy, which matters when a team is weighing a short-term addition at a position where communication and comfort can matter as much as raw talent. Nothing official has been reported, but the Steelers search for cornerback help suggests they are leaving the door open if the right veteran becomes available. [Read more 🡒]