The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very young cornerback room, aside from Patrick Peterson, as they head into the 2024 offseason. Reigning Defensive Rookie Of The Year Finalist, Joey Porter Jr. is the only clear starter at this point on the roster. There are a lot of questions surrounding Peterson's future in Pittsburgh, and second-year players Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. have yet to prove themselves to be starting caliber corners. Rush, due to a lack of experience, and Trice Jr. has yet to appear in a game due to a knee injury he suffered during training camp in 2023.
Steelers' Darius Rush Excited To Be Molded By Pittsburgh
"They were straightforward. There wasn’t much to say – it was a short stint there. They made it clear that I had a smaller resume at cornerback. And that is a good thing. That gives them the opportunity to mold me into the player they want me to be so I can execute for them."
Rush only appeared in three games for Pittsburgh during his rookie year in 2023. He was inactive for the last five games of the season, and the Steelers certainly didn't have a large enough sample size to truly evaluate him as a player when the season concluded. Rush is under contract with the Steelers for the 2024 season, so the organization and coaching staff will be able to get to know him better as a player throughout minicamps and training camp.
Rush was initially selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was waived by Indianapolis at the end of training camp and eventually claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs waived him and re-signed him to their practice squad, which is where he was signed by Pittsburgh. Rush has shown some promise, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin has spoken about how excited he is to have a guy like Rush on the roster going forward.
Along with Porter Jr. and Trice Jr., Rush is another player entering his second season in the Steelers cornerback room. The Steelers are expected to either draft or sign a cornerback before the start of the 2024 season, but Rush is still excited for the opportunity to be a Steeler in 2024. He spoke about how grateful he is to be in Pittsburgh and his expectations going forward.
"I’m just grateful to be here and excited for the year coming up. With me, Joey and Cory coming off IR – we can be like the big three there with us, and Pat P. and Minkah [Fitzpatrick]."
Porter Jr. is already the Steelers' premiere starting cornerback for the foreseeable future. However, Rush and Trice Jr. will be looking to prove their worth ahead of the 2024 season as well. Trice Jr. was having a promising training camp his rookie year before he suffered a knee injury that put him on injured reserve which ended his first season before it even began. Rush will be looking to develop into a player the Steelers will feel comfortable starting on the outside.
Rush shouldn't get too excited about the possibility of a "big three" of him, Porter Jr. and Trice Jr., though. The Steelers have the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and there is a very strong chance they bring in one of the top cornerback prospects.
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