PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers want Cory Trice Jr. to work out. The team drafted him in the seventh round, but knew from the jump that he was a player with more talent than anyone else drafted at the end of the 2023 draft.
But so far, the reason he fell has been the reason he hasn’t panned out. Trice has dealt with injuries his entire college and now professional career, and in the midst of a comeback, has suffered a new injury.
Trice had his 21-day return window opened by the Steelers just this week, allowing him to begin practice before the team decided whether or not to designate him for return from Injured Reserve. The third-year cornerback started the year on IR after suffering a hamstring injury during training camp.
Two practices into his return window, Trice has suffered a knee injury that kept him limited during his second outing. It’s uncertain if he suffered the injury during practice, being pulled and making him limited, or if he suffered it beforehand and was limited to keep his workload low.
Either way, it’s not a good sign for Trice and his potential return. There was some belief Trice would return to the field as early as Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts because the team was dealing with secondary injuries, but that may be gone with the latest news.
Jul 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. (27) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
When healthy, Trice has been a player the Steelers have wanted to turn to as a role piece for the defense. That has been very limited, as Trice has only played six games in his three-year career.
But he still believes he can turn his career into a successful one.
“Yeah, I feel like I can prove myself to be a starter, to be a top corner in this league for a long time,” Trice said. “I feel like I’m right on track where I need to be.”
His rookie season, Trice tore his ACL during training camp and missed the entire season. Last year, he suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve for all but six games. And this year, the same thing happened.
It’ll be a tough road back if Trice is to miss the rest of the season because of the knee injury. The Steelers would need to shut him down for the remainder of the year if he isn’t activated within the 21-day window. Right now, it’s a guess on whether or not he’ll actually return to the 53-man roster.