PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cory Trice is a promising player, but he just can't stay healthy. Trice has missed the first two preseason games with a hamstring injury that was suffered on Aug. 1 during the Friday Night Lights practice.
With Trice missing this much time, it will not be surprising if he gets cut at the end of this month.
"The guy is an NFL corner. He can play in this league. It's just a matter of him being available," Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Monday.
Trice has been snake-bitten by the injury bug his entire playing career. His size and physicality make him an attractive dime backer or potential tight end eraser if he can stay on the field. The problem is that there's not much evidence that he can do that, as unfortunate as it is. Once he was finally healthy enough to suit up, he was baptized by fire against the Bengals ' star receivers in the regular season finale.
The team's seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Purdue, Trice missed his entire rookie season with an ACL injury. He played in just six games in 2024, missing 11 games due to a hamstring injury that occurred while covering a punt against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 22. Trice was on injured reserve for a significant portion of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. before a game against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 15, 2024. — Alan Saunders / Steelers Now
Trice has been a player with high hopes from the Steelers, despite being a seventh-round draft pick and has been considered by some a potential future starter .
"Just mentally, I'm just in a way better space with the knowledge I've been getting, I've been learning so many things from all the guys previously, like D-Jack and Pat P, and now I got Slay," Trice said during the first week of training camp. "I've just been learning so much, and I already know my talent gonna show."
Trice revealed that he trained with All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt this offseason. The two have formed a close bond over the years. Watt even gave Trice a shoutout during his first press conference this year and last year in Week 2 when Trice had a clutch red zone interception.
With mentors like Watt, Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey , Trice is hoping to take that next step and have a breakout year in 2025. Unfortunately, that might not come to fruition in Pittsburgh due his inability to stay healthy.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Promising Steelers CB is in Major Jeopardy of Losing Roster Spot
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