Desmond

King II

King, 29, split time between the Steelers and Texans last season, totaling 47 tackles in 10 games while also breaking up two passes. King has 105 games of pro experience under his belt and has started in 56 games. King could provide added depth in a secondary in need of help, but he’s now on the move for the third time in a year, suggesting teams may think his best days are behind him.

King rejoined the Texans prior to Week 12 of the 2023 season after being released by the Steelers, playing 70 percent or more of the defensive snaps in six of his nine games with the franchise. The one-year deal makes sense for both sides considering King’s age and struggles on the perimeter throughout his career. Look for King to play a vital role over the middle of the field, primarily serving as the team’s slot corner in 2024.

King was signed to the practice squad earlier this month and will now be elevated to the active roster. The veteran spent the last two seasons with Houston before signing with Pittsburgh in the offseason and subsequently being released in October. King has struggled as a boundary corner in the past, but the Texans could look to move him back inside to slot corner, where he has succeeded in the past. The team released Shaquill Griffin to make room on the roster.

The Texans signed Griffin to a one year, $4.5 million contract this offseason and penciled him in to start opposite Derek Stingley Jr. Now, 12 games into the season, the Texans have decided to part ways with the 28-year-old. On the season, Griffin has 29 tackles, one interception, and 27 receptions allowed. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 78th-best corner in terms of coverage grade. The team signed Desmond King II to take Griffin’s place on the roster.

This is a reunion for King, who spent the last two seasons with the Texans before signing with the Steelers earlier this offseason. King played on just one defensive snap for the Steelers in three games before being released, and now has a chance to serve as added depth for the Texans. He’ll start off on the practice squad with a chance to be elevated in the coming weeks.

King was expected to be released if the Steelers could not find a trade partner for him. Given that they handed over all of their leverage by letting it known he would be released, it’s no surprise that the Steelers couldn’t find a bidder for King. Signed by Pittsburgh in the offseason, King played one defensive snap and 15 special teams snaps for the team before being cut.

King has spent time with the Chargers, Titans, and Texans throughout his career, predominantly as a nickel corner. He hardly made an impact for the Steelers this season and now the veteran is available. Per Pelissero, The Steelers are expected to sign rookie CB Darius Rush off the Chiefs’ practice squad in a corresponding move.

The team needed only four inactive players after placing wide receiver Diontae Johnson on injured reserve earlier in the day. Mason Rudolph will serve as the team’s emergency quarterback.

King profiles as a depth piece for the Steelers secondary, graded by Pro Football Focus as last year’s tenth worst coverage unit. Forced to play on the boundary in 2022, King struggled in a poor Houston secondary. He’ll likely serve as a slot corner in Pittsburgh.

King re-signed to a two-year, $7 million contract in March. The Texans converted $911K of his $2 million base salary into a bonus, creating $456K in savings. Houston has the lowest cap space ($1.24M) in the league.