The Pittsburgh Steelers face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and that could mean trouble for a secondary potentially missing a starting cornerback.

Veteran Darius Slay sustained a concussion in last Sunday night's 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and is under protocol. His status for this week's game at Acrisure Stadium is questionable.

The Steelers (5-4) couldn't stop the Bengals' wide receiver duo of JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins on Oct. 16 when they lost to Cincinnati 33-31 on the road. Chase had 16 receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown, and Higgins added six catches for 97 yards and a score. Quarterback Joe Flacco passed for 342 yards and three TDs.

Chase leads the NFL with 76 receptions for 831 yards and five touchdowns. Higgins has 32 catches for 481 and six TDs for the Bengals (3-6).

The task in the rematch should theoretically be more difficult for the Steelers if Slay is unable to play. However, coach Mike Tomlin has confidence that backup corner James Pierre could be more than capable of playing in Slay's place. Pierre has played just 17 percent of the Steelers' defensive snaps but had five tackles and two passes defended against the Chargers.

"James is always game," Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "I thought he played really well (Sunday night), but I thought he's played really well when called upon all year. I think it's reflective of how he prepares and the level of professionalism that he brings day in and day out.

The Steelers signed Pierre, a cousin of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, as an undrafted free agent in 2020 from Florida Atlantic during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 29-year-old is now in his sixth season despite making eight starts in 90 career games. Pierre has defended six passes in nine games this season despite his limited action.

"It's been cool to watch the growth and development of his career over the time that he's been here," Tomlin said. "If you remember, he was an undrafted Covid guy. I think globally, it was single-digit guys that made rosters undrafted that Covid year, and he's been one of them. He's always available. He's a dynamic special teams player, and he's a rising defender, particularly in 2025."