Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) intercepted a pass to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Bengals lost 34-12. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Steelers New Starting CB Suffers Concussion

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Ari Meyer | Last updated Dec 1, 2025 6:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell in a disastrous game against the Buffalo Bills, but the their on-field play would be worsened by injury issues that would follow.

Just after the end of halftime, Steelers defensive back James Pierre exited the game with a head injury. He was initially ruled questionable to return soon after the injury with an designation of a head injury,

Pierre would be ruled out of the game an hour later, with the Steelers giving him a designation of a concussion. Along with Patrick Queen, both would suffer mid-game injuries before being ruled out of the game.

How Pierre Got Here

Pierre's appearance in the game was particularly interesting as it was his first non-injury related start of the season. Pierre began the season as a backup defensive back, with new addition Darius Slay Jr. helming the position opposite Joey Porter Jr. to make up the cornerback group for the Steelers.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Then, Slay suffered an injury that kept him out, and Pierre stepped in to play in his place. Pierre took advantage of the situation, leading the Steelers defense in their 34-12 win over the Bengals two weeks ago.

In fact, some were suggesting that he should start regardless of Slay's injury status. When Slay returned the following week, Pierre started, and Slay entered the game upon an injury to Porter.

Then, the situation worsened for Slay, as he was named a healthy scratch for the matchup against the Bills, furthering Pierre's status as a starter with the team.

Now with Pierre's concussion, the Steelers will likely return to their beginning of the season setup of Slay and Porter on the two cornerback spots while Pierre heals from his concussion. Slay's stats in coverage have not been encouraging this season, so an already inconsistent Steelers secondary may suffer further against teams with adaquate passing offenses like the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers are now 6-6, and may require the services of Pierre in order to snap up a playoff spot down the stretch. With two pivotal games against the Ravens, the Steelers still have a shot of making the playoffs. Their remarkable lack of consistency has both made it possible for them to still be in the hunt for the playoffs while making it a tall task simultaneously.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Pierre joined the Steelers in 2020, signing as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic. He spent 2020 to 2023 with the team, 2024 with the Washington Commanders practice squad, then returned for 2025 to the Steelers.

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