The Steelers’ cornerback problem is staring them right in the face, and the simplest answer might be sitting on Seattle’s practice squad.
Pittsburgh needs help after the Jamel Dean injury, and the current setup doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. The likely starters are Asante Samuel Jr. and Daylen Everette, with Jalen Ramsey working in the slot. Brandin Echols could get a look as a starter, and Ramsey could be pushed outside, but that idea loses some of its appeal when he’s playing through a broken wrist.
That’s why the Steelers should be casting a wide net. A trade is one route, and there are already five possible options on the table. But there’s also a cleaner move that doesn’t cost draft capital or a player in return.
Trevon Diggs makes sense as a swing worth taking.
The 28-year-old is on the Seahawks’ practice squad, which means Pittsburgh could sign him without giving up anything. The only requirement would be clearing a spot on the 53-man roster and keeping him for at least four weeks.
If Dean is expected to miss multiple weeks, the Steelers could place him on Injured Reserve and use that opening to bring in Diggs. It’s a straightforward move: no trade compensation, no complicated negotiation, just a veteran with a track record of production and a chance to help a defense that needs it.
There’s also familiarity here. Diggs and McCarthy spent five years together in Dallas, and McCarthy was the head coach when Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million deal with the Cowboys in 2023. He was also on the sideline for Diggs’ 11-interception season in 2021.
Diggs wouldn’t come in cold, either. He’s on a veteran minimum deal and got on the field in Week 4 for the first time, so he wouldn’t be completely rusty if Pittsburgh made the move.
The bottom line is simple: the Steelers do not have a clean, no-doubt answer at cornerback. This defense looks a lot different without Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean, and it needs help now.
Diggs offers four weeks of commitment, no trade cost, and a real chance to stabilize the position. That alone makes him a conversation Pittsburgh should be having.
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
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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 Fans Have A New Reason To Revisit The Kaleb Johnson Trade
Kaleb Johnson gave Steelers fans another reason to look back at the trade when he turned in a mixed performance for Green Bay, flashing the kind of burst that made him intriguing in the first place. His 31-yard run helped set up a touchdown and served as a reminder that the big-play element still exists in his game, even if it did not always show up consistently during his time in Pittsburgh.
The same outing also underlined why the evaluation is not simple. Johnson put the ball on the ground near the goal line, leaving the very issue that followed him with the Steelers still hanging over his development, even as his explosive runs have looked better in Green Bay. For Pittsburgh, it is the kind of snapshot that keeps the trade in focus: enough upside to wonder what might have been, but enough risk to explain why the story is still unfinished. [Read more 🡒]