Steelers are on pace to make a massive mistake following the latest injury update from head coach Mike Tomlin
A move that doesn’t make a ton of sense on paper.
When you get to November in the NFL, the more healthy players you have, the better. Especially when those players are starting-caliber. That’s the situation the Steelers find themselves in after Mike Tomlin’s weekly address, with not only Cole Holcomb potentially returning from injury, but Darius Slay.
Slay, who the Steelers signed to be their starter opposite of Joey Porter Jr. this offseason, has been up and down, often dealing with injuries that haven’t allowed him to play at 100 percent health. And in his absence, the Steelers have seen the emergence of James Pierre.
But, according to Mike Tomlin, that could be changing soon.
Darius Slay could resume role as starter when clearing concussion protocol
“Yeah, he steps back in and plays, certainly,” said Tomlin via the Steelers YouTube channel when asked if Slay would return as a starter. “We’re certainly gonna continue to play James [Pierre]. He’s deserving of that, but if healthy, Slay is going to play.”
Mike Tomlin is an old-school coach, and he’s known for his loyalty. He and Slay have a great relationship which is partially why Slay joined the Steelers this offseason. There is also an old rule among many NFL coaches that you can’t lose your starting spot to injury.
The problem here, is that James Pierre played so well against the Bengals, one of the league’s best pass-catching units, that I don’t know how you can take him off the field. He and Joey Porter split duties guarding Ja’Marr Chase on Sunday, and despite him being targeted 10 times, Chase left the game with just three receptions.
“He’s done a nice job, but again, usually when you’re a backup, man, you get targets and so when you get targets, you generally get breakups,” said Tomlin of Pierre’s pass breakups. “We have not been displeased with his efforts. We’ve been quite pleased with his efforts. We’re certainly interested in continuing to use him as we move forward.”
So we will see what the distribution of snaps looks like once Slay is cleared, but on offense, you always feed the hot hand. Maybe it’s time to start thinking about that mentality on defense for Pittsburgh. Slay is a veteran presence that still has utility within the Steelers’ secondary, but it’s hard for me to see a world where he would be better than what James Pierre has shown lately.
Pittsburgh Steelers News
NFL insider reveals that Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers aims to go against the doctor’s orders despite breaking bone in his wrist
Aaron Rodgers has a mind of his own when it comes to this injury.
