Steelers A to Z: In-season acquisition Darius Rush looking to fill role at cornerback

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

CB Darius Rush

Experience/age: Three games of NFL experience as he enters second season/24

Contract status: $915,000 cap hit if he makes the team

The past: Drafting two tall outside cornerbacks wasn’t good enough for the Steelers in 2023. During the season, they added a third when they signed Rush off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.

A fifth-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, Rush was let go in late August and was claimed off waivers by Kansas City. Later, the Chiefs waived Rush and stashed him on their practice squad until the Steelers signed him to the 53-man roster in October.

The Steelers thrust Rush into a prominent role for their Nov. 2 game against Tennessee. Playing 30 snaps, Rush had three tackles and one pass breakup. That turned out to be the highlight of Rush’s rookie season.

Rush appeared in two more games and played just nine more defensive snaps. He was inactive for the final four games of the regular season and the playoff loss at Buffalo.

Ready ‘24 pic.twitter.com/pzB6HPLv0R

— Darius Rush (@DariusJRush) April 18, 2024

2024 outlook: With his 6-foot-2, 198-pound frame, Rush presents an intriguing option at corner, as he joins Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice as cornerbacks entering their second year.

Rush will try to take advantage of having an entire offseason to learn the Steelers defense and earn a roster spot in training camp. Although his size suggests he is suited to play outside, Rush played 18 snaps in the slot against the Titans last season and could be in line for playing time there as the Steelers search for a viable nickel cornerback.

Rush and Trice, a seventh-round pick who missed his rookie season, could compete for the same roster spot. Porter and Donte Jackson will start on the outside, and the Steelers have a handful of other cornerbacks on the offseason roster.

With Cameron Sutton being suspended for the first half of the season, Rush faces one less competitor for earning that roster spot.