After weeks of trade rumors, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the bold decision not to give star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. the long-term deal he'd been seeking, and arguably earned, and instead traded him to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers received a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder for Porter, the son of a former Steelers legend and their top defensive back, whom they selected early in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft after a standout college career at Penn State. Now, Pittsburgh has made its first move to add more depth at the position, signing former Super Bowl champion cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
More news: Puka Nacua Injury Update Sparks Major Concern for Rams Murphy-Bunting was an early second-round pick himself in 2019 out of Central Michigan. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bucs before playing a year in Tennessee and two seasons in Arizona. The Cardinals waived him in August, and he landed back in Tampa Bay on the practice squad before the regular season.
Murphy-Bunting has dealt with injuries in recent years and is now 29, but he's still one of the most physical ball-hawking corners in the league and brings Super Bowl pedigree, having won a title with the Bucs in 2021. Over six NFL seasons, he has 297 combined tackles (211 solo), 12 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles, 34 pass breakups, and 11 interceptions. More news: Robert Saleh Fires Back at Cam Ward Critics as Titans Fall to 0-4 More news: Eagles Make Intriguing QB Decision Hours Before Playing Rams The move should help offset the loss of Porter, providing valuable depth behind Asante Samuel Jr., Jalen Ramsey and Jamel Dean, a group that just got beat by Deshaun Watson and the Browns.
The Steelers are 2-2 and need to turn things around to compete for the AFC North title in what's expected to be Aaron Rodgers' last season. Next up, they'll host the Colts before a matchup against the Bucs in Tampa Bay, a chance for Murphy-Bunting to face his former team.
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