Steelers Get Terrible News On Defense As The Secondary Takes A Big Hit Ahead Of Clash With The Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been battling through injuries during the 2024 season. They have lost a lot of important pieces, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Alex Highsmith is already set to miss some time with a sprained ankle, which is the second injury that has caused him to miss games in 2024. Now, cornerback Cory Trice Jr. is going to miss Pittsburgh's game against the Baltimore Ravens, which will mark the seventh straight game that he has missed.

Trice has been battling a hamstring injury ever since the Steelers Week 3 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. He left that game relatively early, and he hasn't been able to return since. The organization opened up his practice window during the week leading up to Week 11, but he will miss at least one more game before returning according to the Steelers' Senior Director Of Communications Burt Lauten.

This is disappointing for fans, as Trice was an exciting player at the beginning of the year. Many looked forward to seeing him on the field after he missed his entire rookie season in 2023 due to a torn ACL that he suffered near the beginning of training camp. Trice has already made plays for the Steelers in the two full games that he has played. He picked off Bo Nix in the end zone during Pittsburgh's victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 2.

Steelers' Depth At Cornerback Has Been Questionable

The Steelers were looking forward to Trice's return, mainly due to the unreliable depth at cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson have been good on the outside, but Jackson has been in and out all season long due to injury. James Pierre has been forced to see some playing time at cornerback, which is something that can't happen for a defense as good as Pittsburghs. Cam Sutton returned in Week 10, which is good, but he is more of an inside corner than an outside cornerback. 

Trice's return will provide some quality depth on the outside, and he will likely resume his role in dime packages.