Pittsburgh Steelers Trade Update – Squad Shakeup Sees Youth in Old Out

Arguably, the standard has been always high in the Pittsburgh Steelers camp. However, the six-time Super Bowl champions have not enjoyed the best of their seasons so far. In that regard, the necessity to make changes, refine the squad, and invest in something for the long term appears to be the key focus of the team. This has brought one of the veteran CBs to the limelight as uncertainty looms over him!

Following the management’s decisions, a likely replacement appears to be in order. Speculations concerning the Steelers’ plan to bring in some young blood for the roster also have been making rounds. However, regarding the change of CB, the news appears to be quite unexpected; given it’s been only months since Desmon King joined the team from the Texans.

What’s in line for Desmon King?

Amid a rollercoaster season for the Steelers, the franchise has decided to trade CB Desmond King, per Tom Pelissero. King joined the team in August only after being released from the Houston Texans. They planned to sign the 28-year-old for a season, but it looks like everything has fallen apart for him mid-season.

According to the news released on Twitter, the team plans to trade or release veteran CB. Although, it depends on whether they can find a trade partner. In the last game against the Ravens, even though the Steelers looked promising, the same cannot be said for King. He was not able to execute his best skills on the field.

Additionally, according to the reports, the franchise plans to bring on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ practice squad rookie Dariush Rush in a trade deal as an active roster player.

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But that is only if it works for the King. Pelissero has also hinted that failing to trade him would force the Pittsburgh Steelers to simply terminate his contract. It’s another rejection for the cornerback inside a few years, and he’s not new to the disappointment.

Desmond King’s history of trade-offs

King was a first-team All-Pro defensive back and a second-team All-Pro as a return man in 2018 for the Chargers. But the CB never really settled into one team. He was a fifth-round pick for the Colts in the NFL 2023. Although he signed with the Texans earlier, they released him as part of the roster cut in June this year.

It looked like he had finally found a dependable home after news broke out that the six-time NFL champions wanted to sign a one-year deal with King just 2 months ago. But that was before the season kicked off for the team.

Time has ticked for the cornerback once again, as he has made it to the excess list of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see whether the franchise will trade him in the mid-season, or if he will have to spend the rest of the season teamless.

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