You learn something new every day. Today, NFL fans learned that second-year Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre is related to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Pierre said as much during his post-practice media session on Tuesday, with this fun tidbit “unearthed” by Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
CB James Pierre is first cousins with Lamar Jackson on his mom’s side, a fun fact unearthed by @BrianBatko. They grew up together, and Pierre said he used to be Jackson’s receiver when they played on the same team.
Says he’s faster than Jackson. 👀
“He’s my first cousin. We played on the same team,” said Pierre, via Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “He used to throw the ball to me, I was a receiver. Little league friends, cousins, we used to stay at each other’s houses and stuff like that. It’s crazy. We never thought it would be like this….”
Pierre went on to say that he talks with Jackson every day, and that “sometimes we trash talk,” he added.
He also claimed that he is faster than Jackson, and that if he’s asked, the Ravens QB will admit that.
Steelers corner @TuneLight1 is cousins with Ravens QB @Lj_era8. When asked who is faster, Pierre said, ‘Me. I am going to say it straight up.’ And what would Jackson say? ‘He would agree.’
James Pierre is Challenging for a Starting Role
It’s a pivotal summer for Pierre, 24, who made Pittsburgh’s roster as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2020 and looks to take another step forward this year. Right now, he’s competing with former third-round pick Justin Layne to potentially start at right cornerback—or at least play the position on passing downs, when and if fifth-year vet Cam Sutton moves into the slot.
Last year the Florida Atlantic product played in all 16 games for the Steelers and was responsible for 10 tackles (seven solo). But almost all of his playing time came on special teams, where he was a part of 227 snaps, this as compared to just 27 snaps on defense (per Pro Football Reference).
But the departure of cornerbacks Mike Hilton (Cincinnati Bengals) and Steven Nelson (Philadelphia Eagles), mean there is an inviting opportunity to step up and grab a greater role. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Pierre certainly has ideal length for a cornerback, much like his primary competition, as Layne is also 6-foot-2 (and listed at 192 pounds).
As to his speed, nflcombineresults.com indicates that Pierre ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. In 2018, Jackson told ESPN that he has been timed at 4.34. Of course, if Pierre plays significant snaps on defense this year, he may find himself chasing Jackson down when the Steelers and Ravens meet on Dec. 5 (at Heinz Field) and Jan. 9 (at M&T Bank Stadium).
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The Winner of the Slot Cornerback Job Will Help Shape Pierre’s Role
Of course, even if Pierre beats out Layne for the No. 3 cornerback job, the amount of playing time he receives will be impacted by whether or not a reliable slot cornerback emerges from the training camp/preseason competition. Right now, the leading contenders are Antoine Brooks Jr. and Arthur Maulet, but both have been hampered by injuries—with Maulet going down with an ankle injury against the Detroit Lions is past Saturday.
On Monday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin indicated that it’s way too soon to define roles at most of the cornerback positions, saying, “We’re still squirreling those nuts.”
The Steelers (3-0) return to preseason action against the Carolina Panthers (0-2) on Friday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte (7:30 p.m. ET).
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Steelers Cornerback Reveals Surprising Link to Ravens’ Lamar Jackson