Oct 16, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay (23) reacts after failing to intercept a pass thrown by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Steelers Bench Super Bowl Champion CB

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Ari Meyer | Last updated Nov 24, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to defeat the Chicago Bears, with much of the fault of the game falling on a lack of consistent offense and self-inflicted mistakes by the Steelers.

One of the more important news stories to come out of the midweek was that Darius Slay Jr. would be taking the starting cornerback role back following his return from injury - despite the impressive performance by his backup in James Pierre.

Tomlin's Midweek Announcement

Tomlin spoke to media about Slay on Tuesday, making his return clear.

“Yeah, he steps back in and plays,” Tomlin said. “We’re certainly going to continue to play James. He’s deserving of that, but if healthy, Slay is going to play.”

Then, when the game rolled around and the Steelers took the field on defense to start out, Slay was on the bench while Pierre took the starting cornerback role opposite Joey Porter Jr..

Slay would not enter the game until Porter was hurt, displaying his status as a backup. During the game, Slay did not have any positive or negative plays of note, leading to no real takeaway on his play overall.

There was an argument earlier on in the week that regardless of health, it made more sense to keep Pierre in the starting role. During the first half of the season, Slay played as one of the worst starting cornerbacks in the league by coverage statistics, allowing 50% of targets to his receivers to be completed.

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Pierre, on the other hand, displayed one of the strongest individual performances from a Steelers defensive back in years, forcing a turnover and having multiple pass breakups in the Steelers win in Slay's absence.

Tomlin's Game-Time Decision

That led to some confusion when it came to Tomlin making it clear that Slay would start. When the game began against the Bears, it made a lot more sense that Pierre took the field. Ultimately, he did little positive or negative for the team as well, so the decision did not matter too much.

When it comes to the remainder of the season and the future of the franchise, the Steelers will likely opt to keep Pierre playing more than for contract, age and performance reasons. Neither are primed to garner All-Pro honors during the rest of their respective careers, but the future looks a bit brighter for Pierre in this case.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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