The Pittsburgh Steelers already have a lot of cornerback depth. But the team might still not be quite satisfied with it.
Packer Report’s Easton Butler reported this week the Green Bay Packers have received calls about the availability of cornerback Carrington Valentine. According to Butler, the Steelers are one of three teams who have inquired about the 24-year-old.
The other two teams were the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.
“Teams have been calling the Packers about the availability of CB Carrington Valentine,” wrote Butler on Tuesday. “The 3 teams that have called are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.
“Valentine is on the last year of his rookie deal, where he is scheduled to make $3.7 million this year.”
Valentine has made 30 starts in his NFL career, 11 of which came last season. In 49 games overall, he has posted 107 combined tackles, 18 pass defenses and two interceptions.
The Packers grabbed Valentine at No. 232 overall in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Steelers Potentially Interested in Packers CB Carrington Valentine
The mainstream NFL insiders haven’t reported anything about the Steelers potential interested in Valentine. It’s not even clear nationally whether the Packers are entertaining offers for the cornerback.
So it’s far from a foregone conclusion the Steelers are pursuing the fourth-year cornerback.
Valentine just returned to practice this week. He had been sidelined because of a hamstring injury since August 2.
Back on the field, perhaps the Packers will receive inquiries for the cornerback with possibly one from Pittsburgh.
Valentine started a career-high 12 games as a rookie in 2023. But he also started seven games in 2024 and 11 last season.
In 2025, he registered 31 combined tackles and four pass defenses.
The Steelers might view Valentine as a cornerback to provide depth behind Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey and Jamel Dean. If any of those cornerbacks suffered an injury, Valentine could seamlessly enter the starting lineup given his previous experience.
Porter and Ramsey have each been on the PUP list since the start of training camp.
Could Steelers Trade for Valentine With Joey Porter Jr.?
The timing of Butler’s report is certainly intriguing given another report since Tuesday.
On Thursday night, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is a potential trade target.
“Porter is a name multiple teams around the NFL have wondered about as a potential trade target, per sources,” wrote Schultz.
“JPJ is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with where the CB market is, teams have wondered if Pittsburgh could ultimately be open to a move with the Pro Bowl caliber corner.”
Porter is seeking a contract extension before the regular season starts. It’s not clear, though, the Steelers are going to be willing to meet the cornerback’s demands, especially in the quickly rising market at the position.
The Steelers possess arguably their best cornerback depth they have in years. Trading Porter would certainly hurt, but not as badly if they received a cornerback, such as Valentine in return.
Without Porter, the Steelers would still have Ramsey and Dean to start. If they wanted to keep Ramsey in the slot, Asante Samuel Jr. (or Valentine) could start on the outside opposite Dean.
Should the Steelers prefer to slide Ramsey outside, then they could start veteran Brandin Echols in the slot.
Third-round rookie cornerback Daylen Everette might be a factor as well. Both Samuel and Everette were standouts at Steelers training camp and aren’t currently projected to start.
Again, losing Porter isn’t ideal. But if the Steelers have determined they aren’t going to have him beyond 2026, they could shop him before the season starts to get something in return.
Valentine would be an ideal target to help fill the void Porter leaves behind.
Steelers Called to Inquire Trading for Starting CB: Report