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In the 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor left the game with a lower-leg injury. The Steelers stated that Taylor suffered a fractured right ankle.
It’s been said that Taylor could miss three to six weeks, meaning that this could possibly roll over into the postseason (assuming that the Steelers make it there).
This leaves the possibility of cornerback Stanford Routt of coming to the Steel City. Routt is a 6-1, 195 pounder who recently was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last month, after being let go by the Oakland Raiders this past February. The eight-year veteran has also worked out for the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans.
Routt was drafted by the Raiders in 2005 in the second round, and is known for running the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2005 combine (4.27). During Routt’s seven seasons in Oakland, he had a total of 10 interceptions and two picks during his short time in Kansas City.
Losing Taylor is a huge blow to the Steelers’ defense. Although there aren’t many interceptions on the stats sheet, Pittsburgh’s pass defense is the best in the league, and Taylor is a big part of that. With Taylor out, backup cornerbacks Curtis Brown or Cortez Allen will be called upon to step in and try to fill that void.
Adding Routt will definitely give the Steelers’ secondary much-needed depth for the latter part of the regular season, and will give them a better chance of actually making the postseason.
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