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Ahkello Witherspoon has struggled to stay off the injury report for the majority of his tenure in the NFL which might explain why he’s still available in free agency. However, he is coming off a career year with three interceptions and 14 passes defended. Those figures are tied for the most and the most of his career as he finally played a full year’s worth of games.
But the Los Angeles Rams opted to sign cornerbacks Darious Williams and Tre’Davious White in free agency instead, leaving Witherspoon to find a new home. About four months later, the seven-year veteran is still seeking shelter and has recently been dubbed a good pickup for one of his former teams.
“Even with the arrival of Cameron Sutton to play in the slot, the [Pittsburgh] Steelers could still use more veteran depth at corner,” Aaron Schatz of ESPN wrote. “Witherspoon, a former Steeler, was surprisingly good for the Rams last season – he ranked 18th in success rate in coverage and 37th in coverage DVOA with 14 passes defended.
“He will likely be inexpensive to sign, as he’s 29 years old and could back up all three Steelers starters.”
It’s worth noting that Sutton will be suspended for the first half of this season after turning himself in for a domestic violence incident that occurred in March. So, Pittsburgh’s depth at cornerback will be tested to begin the fall, providing more reason to sign Witherspoon.
Granted, the Steelers might be scarred from signing the Colorado product and only seeing him play for 13 games in 2021 and 2022 combined. But there are plenty of other teams who could use help in the secondary that should be interested in at least bringing him in for training camp.