The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the talk of the preseason, due in part to how good the offense looks under second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Steelers, much like their 31 counterparts, had to trim down their roster to 53 players. As moves were made, fans became infatuated by how general manager Omar Khan does business.
In the days leading up to Tuesday's deadline, Khan managed to turn reserve offensive linemen Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green into draft capital, which is some good business rather than cutting them altogether. Well, Khan wasn't done.
On Wednesday, NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers were signing former All-Pro cornerback Desmond King to their 53-man roster. King was notably released by the Houston Texans on Tuesday.
Steelers sign former All-Pro cornerback Desmond King
Imagine flipping Green to the Texans, getting a 2024 sixth-round pick from them, then signing one of their surprise cuts in King. What a stretch for Khan.
King is a well-known, proven veteran option in the NFL. Back in 2018, his second year in the league with the Los Angeles Chargers, King received First-team All-Pro honors after recording 62 combined tackles (47 total, 15 assisted), 10 passes defended, and three interceptions.
For the past two seasons, King was a member of the Texans. Just last year, King recorded 89 total tackles (59 solo, 30 assisted), 10 tackles for loss, eight passes defended, and two interceptions in 17 games played (13 starts). In pass coverage, King allowed 40 receptions for 365 yards and two touchdowns on 56 targets, per Pro Football Reference.
Now, King will be added to Pittsburgh's growing secondary, featuring fellow former All-Pro Patrick Peterson and rookie Joey Porter Jr. With this move, Khan is ensuring that the Steelers have the best chance to win in what will be a tough AFC North featuring the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns.
