Steelers Could Cut New $6 Million CB

The Pittsburgh Steelers' cornerback room is pretty well-stocked at the moment, meaning they could have to make some tough roster decisions later this summer.

With Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey as the Steelers' leading trio, FanSided's Cody Williams believes Brandin Echols may find himself without a 53-man spot at the end of the preseason.

"It's getting more difficult by the day to see how Echols fits into the mix at all with the Steelers. Some combination of Slay, Porter Jr. and Ramsey are expected to start on the outside and in the slot at cornerback," Williams wrote. "Meanwhile, Beanie Bishop Jr. and James Pierre have the experience in Pittsburgh that gives them some sort of edge as backups, the same of which is somewhat true for Cory Trice Jr. That puts Echols in a position to battle with those three and seventh-round rookie Donte Kent for spots on the depth chart."

It would come as a surprise if Pittsburgh were to cut ties with Echols. The organization signed the former New York Jet to a two-year deal worth $6 million as a veteran depth piece who could potentially work his way into a starting role, though there are no longer a ton of snaps up for grabs.

The 2021 sixth-round pick played parts of four seasons for the Jets and appeared in 57 games, starting 19 of them, while racking five interceptions and 122 tackles.

14 of his starts came as a rookie, however, meaning he settled into more of an ancillary role for a majority of his time with the team.

Echols' clearest path towards climbing to the top of the depth chart with the Steelers was beating out Beanie Bishop Jr., who had his standout moments as an undrafted rookie in 2024, for the slot corner job.

With Ramsey now in the picture there, however, a battle between Echols and Bishop may no longer come to fruition.

Cutting Echols would save the Steelers $1.170 million and $3 million over the next two seasons, respectively, per Over the Cap.

The team likely still views him as a valuable piece, but crazier things have happened.