Steelers Depth Chart: One Position Is Becoming a Concern

Porter is not coming back. The Steelers shipped him to Dallas, and less than 24 hours later, Dean went down with an ankle injury in the game. Suddenly, the deep cornerback room Pittsburgh had during training camp looked concerningly thin.

The Steelers were already facing challenges navigating their safety situation, and the losses at cornerback make the secondary even more difficult to deploy.

Pittsburgh has taken a step forward, though, by signing two cornerbacks from other teams’ practice squads. The Steelers signed Sean Murphy-Bunting from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad and Terell Smith from the Washington Commanders’ practice squad.

Neither cornerback will necessarily move the needle or dramatically change the dynamics of this defense. However, both are veterans who can provide valuable depth at the position over at least the next three weeks.

Steelers Add Two From Practice Squads

Murphy-Bunting last saw regular-season snaps in 2024 with the Arizona Cardinals. That season, he recorded three interceptions and posted a 56.5 defensive grade, which is slightly below average.

Over the course of his career, Murphy-Bunting has demonstrated the ability to play both the boundary and slot positions. That versatility could prove valuable for a Steelers secondary that suddenly needs bodies capable of filling multiple roles.

Smith has also not played a regular-season snap since 2024. However, he represents an intriguing addition for Pittsburgh. Smith saw relatively limited action during his two seasons with the Chicago Bears, but he recorded seven pass breakups and an interception. He also earned solid defensive grades of 69.6 and 78.5 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Will these guys be an adequate replacement for Porter? Probably not. However, both bring some advantages to Pittsburgh, and it will be interesting to see how much playing time they receive.

The Steelers don’t need either player to completely replace Porter’s production. They simply need them to provide reliable depth while the team works through another round of changes in its secondary.