The Steelers are reshuffling their secondary, and it’s starting to take shape.
After parting ways with veteran cornerback Darius Slay earlier this week, Pittsburgh is turning to some younger talent to help stabilize the back end of its defense. The team has officially signed cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to the 53-man roster and added rookie corner Daequan Hardy to the practice squad. Meanwhile, wide receiver Cornell Powell has been released from the practice squad.
Samuel’s promotion isn’t a surprise if you’ve been tracking his trajectory. He joined the Steelers’ practice squad on November 12 and was called up for Sunday’s game against the Bills, stepping in for James Pierre after Pierre went down with an injury. Samuel didn’t just fill in - he played 28 defensive snaps, registered three tackles, and was on the field over Slay, who was a healthy scratch before being released the following Tuesday.
Now, Samuel’s performance has earned him a more permanent role on the active roster. It’s a clear signal from the Steelers that they’re ready to give the younger corner a real shot, especially with injuries and inconsistency hitting the secondary.
To fill Samuel’s spot on the practice squad, Pittsburgh brought back Daequan Hardy - a name that might ring a bell for those who followed the team’s roster moves in November. Hardy, a sixth-round pick by the Bills in the 2024 NFL Draft, had a brief stint with the Steelers earlier this season. Though he hasn’t seen game action yet at the pro level, his college tape out of Penn State shows promise.
At 5’9” and 178 pounds, Hardy isn’t the biggest corner, but he makes up for it with speed and quickness - clocking a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. In his final season with the Nittany Lions, he posted 22 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defensed. He’s raw, but the tools are there.
This series of moves reflects a broader trend in Pittsburgh’s approach to the secondary: get younger, get faster, and find contributors who can step in and hold their own when called upon. With Slay out and Pierre banged up, the door is wide open for players like Samuel and Hardy to make an impact - and possibly carve out long-term roles in a defense that’s always prided itself on physicality and playmaking.
The Steelers are clearly in evaluation mode, and with playoff hopes still alive, every snap matters. Samuel’s already shown he can handle the spotlight. Now it’s Hardy’s turn to prove he belongs in the mix.