Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Cory Trice Jr. to return from the injured reserve list, the team announced on Wednesday.
Trice has been on the injured reserve list and designated to return since the preseason, when he suffered a hamstring injury.
The team will now have three weeks of practices to evaluate Trice’s condition before they must make a decision about whether or not to reinstate him from the injured reserve list.
The team’s seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Trice has dealt with repeated injury problems over his NFL career. He missed his entire rookie season with an ACL injury. Last year, he played in three games before a hamstring injury caused him to miss 11 contests. He finished the season by playing in three more games and made his first career start in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
This year, he was placed into a competition with Beanie Bishop, Brandin Echols, Donte Kent and James Pierre for two roster spots at cornerback. After Trice was injured, Echols and Pierre filled those roles, with Kent also on the IR and Bishop clearing waivers and being sent to the practice squad.
The Steelers have not been getting strong play out of their secondary so far. They are 28th in passing yards allowed and 20th in net yards per attempt, despite adding veterans Echols, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay to the room this offseason. With poor play the norm in the Pittsburgh secondary the last two weeks, Trice could have an opportunity to earn a role as he returns from his injury.
The Steelers have designated three players to return from IR out of a maximum of eight. Quarterback Will Howard and linebacker Malik Harrison have also been designated to return and had their 21-day practice windows opened.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Open Practice Window for Promising Cornerback
