Veteran cornerback James Pierre didn’t make the Pittsburgh Steelers active roster to begin the 2025 NFL regular season. But he still has a chance to play a significant role for the team in Week 1.
On Saturday, the Steelers announced elevating Pierre from the team’s practice squad for the September 7 showdown against the New York Jets.
The Steelers elevated defensive back James Pierre from the practice squad to the Active/Inactive Roster for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. He will revert back to the practice squad after the game,” wrote Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley.
With Pierre’s elevation, the Steelers will have an extra cornerback available for Week 1.
Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. are the top three cornerbacks on the Pittsburgh depth chart entering the 2025 season. The Steelers also have veteran cornerback Brandin Echols on the roster.
Echols, along with Ramsey and Slay, will make his Steelers debut on Sunday against his former team. Echols played for the Jets from 2021-24.
Pierre should serve as the team’s No. 5 cornerback and a special teams contributor in the season opener. The Steelers will visit the Jets at 1 pm ET on Sunday.
Steelers Add Cornerback Depth for Week 1 With Roster Move