Blinksportsnews247
For secondary depth this summer, several NFL pundits have predicted that the Pittsburgh Steelers will re-sign veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson or Chandon Sullivan. However, Aaron Schatz of ESPN took a different tack and said that the Steelers should re-sign Ahkello Witherspoon, who was the primary cornerback in 2022. Re-signing Witherspoon was mentioned by Schatz on June 20 as the final action the Steelers should do before to training camp. “The Steelers could still use more veteran depth at corner, even with the addition of Cameron Sutton to play in the slot,” Schatz wrote. Former Steeler Witherspoon surprised everyone by playing well with the Rams last season, finishing 18th in coverage success rate and 37th in coverage DVOA with 14 passes defensed.
“He will likely be inexpensive to sign, as he’s 29 years old and could back up all three Steelers starters.”
Witherspoon started all 17 regular season games for the Los Angeles Rams last season. With that opportunity, he posted career-highs across the board with 52 combined tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 14 pass defenses and 3 interceptions.
With the Steelers, Witherspoon started seven games from 2021-22. The Steelers released the 29-year-old on May 17, 2023
Is it Time for the Steelers to Bring CB Ahkello Witherspoon Back? In 2017, the San Francisco 49ers selected Witherspoon in the third round to start his career. Witherspoon was mainly disappointing in San Francisco, but in 2021, his first year in Pittsburgh, he showed promise. In the second part of the season, he established himself in the starting lineup and recorded three interceptions in eight games. By 2021’s conclusion, Witherspoon was a regular starter. He started the 2022 season in the same position.
However, Witherspoon had a very difficult year in 2022, earning a 45.4 Pro Football Focus playing grade. He lost his starting position after three starts and was demoted to healthy scratch. Witherspoon was given another chance in Week 8, but he didn’t play for the remainder of the season as his problems persisted.
However, Witherspoon found himself with the Rams, where he had what may have been his greatest season to date. The PFF player grades showed that he was very strong at run defense. The 29-year-old Witherspoon’s performance in Teryl Austin’s defense two years ago may cause the Steelers to reconsider signing him. However, the risk is low if Pittsburgh can sign Witherspoon to a cheap contract; he may even provide greater upside than Peterson or Sullivan.
“I am all for bringing back Ahkello Witherspoon on a one-year deal to compete with Cory Trice Jr., Darius Rush, Anthony Averett, and others if he is willing to come back for cheap,” Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle stated.
Blinksportsnews247
