Steelers Sign Rival’s Former Top 10 Draft Pick to Practice Squad

The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding more quality depth to their practice squad. The team announced on September 25 that they have signed cornerback CJ Henderson.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the addition at the same time as the Steelers announced the signing.

“The Steelers signed former first-round pick CB C.J. Henderson to the practice squad,” wrote Pelissero.

Pittsburgh’s old AFC Central rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars, drafted Henderson at No. 9 overall in the 2020 NFL draft. He played 10 games for the Jaguars before Jacksonville traded him to the Carolina Panthers.

Henderson played 39 games, starting 22 of them, for the Panthers from 2021-23. He spent 2024 training camp with the Houston Texans, but the Texans released him on roster cutdown day.

In 49 NFL games, Henderson has posted 172 combined tackles, including 6 tackles for loss, 16 pass defenses and 3 interceptions.

Steelers Add CB Depth With CJ Henderson on Practice Squad

Although Henderson became one of the biggest busts of the 2020 draft class, his addition to the Steelers practice squad is still likely to raise eyebrows. The Steelers managed to add a formerly highly coveted cornerback to their organization for no cost.

Ahead of the 2020 draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Henderson to former second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl cornerback Carlos Rodgers.

“Silky smooth boundary cornerback with mirror-and-match footwork and the agility and athleticism to stay connected to routes. He has NFL recovery burst and the long speed to track vertical routes downfield,” wrote Zierlein. “He has the twitchy acceleration to jump a throw and take it away if the quarterback lingers on the target, and he’s quick to wrap and finish after the catch. He makes mental mistakes from time to time and occasionally loses awareness from zone.

“He’s willing and capable in run support but needs better control as an open-field tackler. Henderson is a fluid cornerback with ball skills and burst and has CB1 ability as a first-rounder.”