PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers made two additions to their defense ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The biggest name of those two is veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.
The Steelers claimed Murphy-Bunting off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad after he missed the entirety of 2025 with an ACL injury. After impressing in training camp and the preseason, he gets the chance to immediately come in and play meaningful snaps with the Pittsburgh defense.
Speaking to the media for the first time since arriving in town, he spoke about what he brings to this depleted secondary ahead of a must-win game.
"My strengths are my knowledge of the game, my versatility, probably my press (coverage)," he said in self-evaluation. "Being able to play the line of scrimmage. Just versatility."
When Murphy-Bunting heard that the Steelers wanted to claim him, it was a huge update. He told reporters that his agent called him with the news and the choice was up to him if he wanted to travel a bit north and suit up for Pittsburgh. For the 29-year-old cornerback with 11 career interceptions, this was the perfect opportunity to show the NFL that he can still be a starting defensive back in this league.
"When I found out, I was obviously excited, you know, just for the opportunity," he told Steelers On SI publisher Noah Strackbein. "Just blessed for the opportunity to just compete and be on a team with this much talent. So, you know, I'm excited for what's to come."
Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (23) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Not only does Murphy-Bunting bring plenty of NFL experience, armed with 82 games under his belt. The former 2019 second-round pick can do a bit of everything in the secondary. Speaking on how he fits into Patrick Graham's defense, he keyed in on the biggest theme this staff has expressed: versatility.
"Being versatile," he said. "I feel like I can play pretty much anywhere."
Historically, that's been very true of his career. He's experienced as both a boundary corner and in the nickel, and he's worked in a variety of schemes, both zone and man-coverage based.
Murphy-Bunting also brings a keen observational eye in the film room. With so much knowledge of the game and experience on the field, he's a vocal participant and leader when it comes to breaking down tape week in and week out. Last year was a particularly challenging one for him, but he persevered and still made himself an asset to his teammates.
"I prided myself on being able to be there for the young guys that we had in that room," he said. "Whether it's the mental part of the game, whether it's knowing how to watch film. Just being an asset to the team."
The Steelers hope he can be an asset in Pittsburgh immediately, and they won't wait long to find out. Murphy-Bunting will likely get snaps as soon as Week 5, and the Steelers need good cornerback play desperately to get back on track.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Meet Steelers New CB Sean Murphy-Bunting .
