While the Pittsburgh Steelers were trying to cling on to their lead in the AFC North in their regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals last year, they were handed a 19-17 loss, giving the division to the Baltimore Ravens.
With starting cornerback Donte Jackson out for the contest with a back injury, second-year cornerback Cory Trice Jr. was tasked with covering two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
That matchup didn’t work out well for Trice, as Chase hauled in 10 receptions for 96 yards and Cincinnati’s lone touchdown of the day.
As divisional rivals, the Bengals and Steelers will meet twice again in 2025, and Trice believes these battles will be different.
“I’m used to letting up nothing,” Trice told PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh. “What happened there, it will never happen again.”
Overall, Trice’s 2024 season was pretty solid, grading out as Pro Football Focus’s 55th-best cornerback (69.4 overall grade) and 22nd-best based strictly on coverage (75.3 grade).
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With Jackson leaving the Steelers for a two-year, $13 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason and six-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay signing with the team, Trice will likely be put back into a rotational role behind Slay and Joey Porter Jr.
However, he’ll still surely face difficult challenges, and two games against the Bengals in Weeks 7 and 11 will certainly be tests for the 25-year-old, and he’s determined to ace them.
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