The Steelers’ secondary is suddenly in urgent need of help, and the clock is already ticking after Pittsburgh fell to the Cleveland Browns and slipped to 2-2. With Joey Porter Jr. gone to the Dallas Cowboys and injuries piling up, the defense is thin in all the wrong places, leaving the Steelers hunting for a starter on the outside who can steady things alongside Jamel Dean and give rookie Daylen Everette and Asante Samuel Jr. some much-needed breathing room.
That is why a trade feels like the most obvious next move. Pittsburgh doesn’t just need bodies back there; it needs someone who can step in and handle real responsibility right away. These five names would all help patch a hole that has become impossible to ignore.
One option is Arizona Cardinals corner Denzel Burke. While a lot of the trade buzz around Arizona has centered on Marvin Harrison Jr., Burke is the defender the Steelers should be watching.
The second-year corner, a fifth-round pick last year, put together a strong rookie season with 11 pass break ups, three interceptions and 49 total tackles. He may not be a perfect scheme fit, but he has the kind of traits Pittsburgh can use: he can stick with receivers and attack the ball in the air.
Another target is Cor'Dale Flott, whom the Steelers passed on in free agency. He ended up with the Tennessee Titans, but Tennessee has stumbled early, and that could change the team’s thinking after investing heavily in its secondary with Flott and Alontae Taylor.
Flott is under contract through 2028, and the deal comes with a $15 million average salary and $32 million guaranteed. He would give Pittsburgh a long corner capable of making plays on the outside.
Cam Hart of the Los Angeles Chargers is another fit, and he brings size the Steelers would appreciate at 6'2", 210 pounds. The 26-year-old Notre Dame product is still on his rookie deal and has already shown steady production, with at least seven passes defended in each of his first two seasons, including 11 pass break ups last year. Through three games this year, he has defended three passes, picked off one throw and added 14 tackles.
If Pittsburgh wants to swing big, Kamari Lassiter might be the most appealing name on the board. The Houston Texans corner, 23, has become an important part of that defense, but his contract situation could make him available.
Next season is the final year of his rookie deal, and the Texans do not have a fifth-year option to use. Houston has already spent heavily on defense and still has a major quarterback decision looming with C.J.
Stroud, so Lassiter could become a tough financial fit. For the Steelers, he would be a direct answer to the loss of a starting cornerback, and maybe even an upgrade.
If money is the main issue, Zyon McCollum is the cleaner fit. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner is 27, stands 6'2" and weighs 200 pounds, and he has been productive for three straight seasons with at least six passes defended each year.
His contract also looks like the kind of deal Pittsburgh would welcome: three years, $48 million, $35 million guaranteed, with $20 million paid at signing. The $16 million annual salary and possible out in 2028 would give the Steelers a way to stabilize the secondary without overcommitting.
In Other News...
Steelers Defense Just Took A Brutal Hit Against The Browns
A Thursday night collision with the Browns brought an early injury scare for Pittsburgh, as defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was carted off with a foot injury and quickly listed as questionable. The timing could not have been worse for a defense already trying to slow Clevelands momentum, with the Browns taking a 21-10 lead into halftime.
Harmons exit leaves the Steelers with a bigger problem than just one missing body in the middle. His presence matters in both the run game and the pass rush, and Pittsburgh now has to adjust on the fly while trying to keep Cleveland from controlling the line of scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Just Complicated One Steelers Blame Game
Aaron Rodgers added a layer to the Steelers postgame frustration after the late possession in the loss to Cleveland, pushing back on the idea that the play was simply about Jaylen Warren being the intended answer on second down. Rodgers said five players were running routes on the snap, a reminder that what looks obvious from the outside can be a lot messier once protection, timing and route distribution come into play.
For a Pittsburgh offense still trying to sort through what went wrong in a tight, late-game sequence, that matters. The ball ending up with Warren does not automatically tell the full story of the design, and Rodgers explanation points to the kind of breakdown that can involve more than one player and more than one decision. In a game that already invited blame, the more interesting question may be how much of that play was about execution, and how much was about the pressure closing in around it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Already Have A Rodgers-McCarthy Sideline Problem
The Steelers got a little reminder in Week 4 that bringing familiar faces together does not always mean smooth sailing. During Thursday nights game against the Browns, Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were caught in a heated sideline exchange after Rodgers grew frustrated over a delayed play call, and McCarthy fired back with a profane retort.
For Pittsburgh, it was the kind of moment that can linger because of how much history is wrapped into it. Rodgers and McCarthy won a Super Bowl together in Green Bay before reuniting in Pittsburgh, so the chemistry was never going to be a mystery, but neither was the possibility of old competitive habits resurfacing when the pressure ratchets up. Fans who were hoping for a clean reunion got a glimpse of something a lot messier, and it will be worth watching how that dynamic plays out moving forward. [Read more 🡒]