Steelers rookie CB Cory Trice Jr. carted off at Tuesday’s practice

Wednesday update, 2:45 p.m. ET: The Pittsburgh Steelers placed CB Cory Trice on the injured reserve list Wednesday, officially ending his rookie season.

Steelers rookie cornerback Cory Trice Jr. was carted off the field in Tuesday’s training camp practice, after suffering an apparent leg injury. HC Mike Tomlin described it as a “non-contact injury,” Steelers beat reporter Nick Farabaugh reports.

At a point in time when the cornerbacks' room holds a lot of question marks, Trice had a big opportunity to earn a spot on the team’s final 53-man roster. As it stands, veteran Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, and Joey Porter Jr. are projected as the team’s likely starting corners in 2023, with James Pierre, Chandon Sullivan, and Elijah Riley in the rotation.

The team selected Trice with the No. 241 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — a pick labeled as a “steal” in PFF’s post-draft coverage, having been ranked 77th overall on their big board prior to falling to the seventh round. He allowed a sub-50% completion rate in each of his last two seasons with the Purdue Boilermakers, using his large 6’3 (97th percentile) and 206-pound frame (92nd) to impose dominance in coverage. Widely praised has been skill as a tackler, with a 4.6% missed forced tackle rate in 2022 — 33rd best in the FBS in 2022.