Watch: Cory Trice Jr. Works Out Without Knee Brace

Pittsburgh Steelers CB Cory Trice Jr. is aiming to return to full strength by training camp, and he seems to be well on his way to getting cleared.

The 2023 seventh-round draft pick was working out with Exos Sports trainer Jordan Bush, and Trice looked to be getting back to full strength, lifting weights without the knee brace that he sported throughout OTAs and minicamp. Bush posted the video of Trice working out to his Instagram story.

While Trice saw the field during OTAs and minicamp, he wasn’t cleared for full contact and wore a knee brace. When the Steelers report to Latrobe on July 24, the hope is that Trice will be fully cleared and ready to participate.

Trice was off to a promising start as a rookie in OTAs but he tore his ACL early in training camp, giving him one ACL tear in both knees. That injury wiped out his entire rookie season, and Trice will look to serve as valuable depth for the Steelers if he can get fully healthy ahead of 2024.

His injury history was a known concern and it’s one of the reasons why he slid in the draft, but if he stays healthy, Trice could wind up being a steal for the Steelers in the seventh round. He was worth the risk in the seventh round, and he’s going to be one of the more interesting players to watch during training camp.

The Steelers bolstered their cornerback room with the acquisitions of Donte Jackson, Ryan Watts, Anthony Averett and Cameron Sutton, but Trice will still be counted upon as one of the top backups behind Joey Porter Jr. and Jackson. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said the Steelers have intentionally taken things slow with Trice so he can fully recover, and also added that the team liked what they saw from him pre-injury last season.

Trice is one of the biggest unknowns on Pittsburgh’s roster right now, but Porter is confident that Trice will be able to succeed in the NFL. If he can become a contributor for the Steelers’ defense, their secondary is only going to be that much better. More importantly, it’s good to see Trice getting healthier, and if he can become a contributor, that will be even more of a plus.