PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers starting cornerback James Pierre (calf) was limited on Wednesday but did not practice on Thursday due to an undisclosed illness. It's unclear if Pierre's illness will keep him out of Sunday night's winner-take-all Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens .
Pierre missed his third straight game this past Sunday with a calf injury he suffered against the Ravens in Week 14. Pierre was limited on Wednesday and Thursday last week before taking a step back and not practicing on Friday. Asante Samuel Jr. has replaced Pierre at outside cornerback since his injury.
Pierre, 29, has been one of the biggest surprises of the season for the Steelers. Considered an afterthought as a cornerback after playing mostly special teams over his first five seasons, he filled in for in juries on the outside, and played well enough for the Steelers to choose to release Darius Slay to keep playing Pierre.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre tackles Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant on Nov. 16, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Pierre downplayed his crucial one-handed interception off his cousin Lamar Jackson in the Steelers' Week 14 win over the Baltimore. His mom did the talking for him.
"Not necessarily, no. It's just my mom will be talking about it a lot," Pierre said.
Pierre and Jackson played on the same youth football teams (Northwest Broward Raiders) growing up in South Florida. His INT was the first time he picked off his cousin.
"No, because we've always been on the same team," Pierre said.
Jackson threw an ill-advised pass on the Pierre INT.
"I was trying to make something happen. It was like third down. I tried to throw it to Rasheen [Ali], but I threw it too light. He just made a good play on it with a one-handed interception," Jackson said.
Pierre returning for Sunday night's game would provide a big boost for the Steelers' defense. His participation on Friday will provide more clarity on whether he would be able to suit up.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Starter Dealing with Illness ahead of Ravens Game
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