Steelers' Mike Tomlin Makes His Message Loud And Clear About Darius Slay And James Pierre For Week 12

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense headed into the 2025 season with a lot of attention on them. For starters, many pundits believed they had the pieces to become one of the best units in the entire NFL, led by stars like TJ Watt and Cam Heyward, along with a strong blend of young talent and veteran presence in the secondary. With expectations sky-high, the Steelers entered the year knowing that their defensive performance would play a major role in whether they could make a deep playoff push. 

To strengthen their secondary, the Steelers made a couple of major moves during the 2025 offseason. One of the biggest additions was signing 34-year-old veteran cornerback Darius Slay to a one-year $10 million deal. Slay brought leadership, experience, and the reputation of being one of the league’s most reliable corners over the past decade. However, his first season in Pittsburgh has not been without challenges. He has battled inconsistency at times, and after suffering a concussion, he missed the team’s Week 11 matchup. In his absence, James Pierre stepped up impressively, sparking conversations among fans and analysts about whether Pierre had earned the right to remain the starter opposite Joey Porter Jr.

While speaking to the Pittsburgh media on Tuesday during his weekly press conference, Mike Tomlin shut down any speculation. The Steelers head coach made it clear that once Slay is fully healthy, he will play and resume his role as a key piece of the defense. Tomlin emphasized that Slay was brought in for a reason, pointing to his proven track record and the level of trust the coaching staff has in him. 

"Yeah, he steps back in and plays, certainly," Tomlin said while speaking to the media about Slay returning to the starting lineup. "We're certainly gonna continue to play James. He's deserving of that, but if healthy, Slay is going to play."

Despite Pierre’s strong performance, Tomlin reaffirmed that Slay’s experience and playmaking ability make him an essential part of the Steelers’ plans moving forward.

Tomlin also praised Pierre for stepping up when called upon and acknowledged the impact he had in Slay’s absence. Tomlin made it clear that Pierre’s performance has not gone unnoticed, showing that the team has depth and talent ready to contribute at a high level.

"He's done a nice job, but again, usually when you're a backup, man, you get targets and so when you get targets, you generally get breakups," Tomlin said of Pierre. "We have not been displeased with his efforts. We've been quite pleased with his efforts. We're certainly interested in continuing to use him as we move forward."

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Not Going To Bench Slay

As for Tomlin’s decision, it makes sense and aligns with his usual approach to decision-making. However, many Steelers fans may not love it. Slay has struggled at times during the 2025 season, and his age has clearly begun to show. He has missed tackles, is not as elite in coverage as he once was, and overall, Pierre often looked like the better player. 

Tomlin clearly values Slay and still sees him as a key piece of this defense. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers coaching staff manages the rotation and splits time between Slay and Pierre moving forward. The secondary finally looked much improved against the Cincinnati Bengals, showing that the unit has the potential to be a strong, cohesive group when everyone is on the same page.

On a scale of 1–10, how confident are you in Mike Tomlin’s decision to make Darius Slay the starter again once he’s healthy? Do you think it’s the right move for the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me. I will respond!

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