Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers have shifted their secondary in numerous ways since Juan Thornhill dubbed the defense as potentially one of the best of all time.
Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay have missed time with injuries. Safety DeShon Elliott is likely out for the year. Thornhill was cut on Monday, and the Steelers acquired Kyle Dugger from New England to fill a need at strong safety.
With Jalen Ramsey moving to free safety and Brandin Echols lining up in the slot, openings have emerged at outside corner throughout the season.
Veteran James Pierre has stepped up and filled the void left by Slay against the Chargers. Mike Tomlin is confident that Pierre can be a key defensive contributor when called on.
“James is always game,” Tomlin said. “I thought he played really well. But I thought he’s played really well when called upon all year. I think it’s reflective of how he prepares and the level of professionalism that he brings day in and day out.”
Pierre played the entire second half for Slay, who left the game with a concussion and could miss the Bengals game. In his sixth NFL season, all in Pittsburgh, Pierre joined the Steelers during the hectic 2020 Covid season.
“It’s been cool to watch the growth and development of his career over the time that he’s been here,” Tomlin said. “If you remember, he was an undrafted Covid guy.”
Everything was challenging during the pandemic with restrictions and strict Covid protocols. Pierre was able to overcome those challenges and become one of a select number of undrafted rookies to stick on a roster.
“I think globally it was single-digit guys that made rosters undrafted that Covid year. He’s been one of them,” Tomlin said. I didn’t meet him until we reported to camp. That’s a memory.”
Tomlin spoke glowingly about Pierre. He played in every game from 2020-23 and 15 games last season. A core player for Tomlin on special teams, Pierre has made 10 tackles on defense. The Steelers reportedly signed cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to the practice squad on Tuesday.
Pierre will likely be the next man up for the Steelers defense against the Bengals. The Steelers have their hands full with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Flacco coming to town, looking to defeat the Steelers for a second time this season after scoring over 30 points in Cincinnati.
