Steelers acquire Ahkello Witherspoon from Seahawks

The Pittsburgh Steelers made an addition to their secondary by acquiring cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon from the Seattle Seahawks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering an all-important 2021 season, which may very well be the last with Ben Roethlisberger starting under center. With the team set to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, the Steelers decided to address their secondary ahead of the big game.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Steelers have acquired cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks on Friday. In exchange for Witherspoon, Pittsburgh is giving Seattle a 2023 fifth-round draft pick.

Steelers add cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to their secondary ahead of season-opener

The Steelers officially announced the move shortly afterwards, where they revealed that they have released defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux in a corresponding move.

Witherspoon, a cornerback out of Colorado, was selected in the third-round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. In his first four years with the 49ers, Witherspoon recorded 117 total tackles, 24 defended passes, four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Through 11 games this past season, Witherspoon allowed 19 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns in 32 targets in coverage, per Pro Football Reference.

As a free agent this year, Witherspoon opted to stay in the NFC West by signing with the Seahawks. While he did emerge from training camp with a 53-man roster spot, he now finds himself traveling to Pittsburgh to play in the AFC North. Prior to the trade, the team’s official website only had Joe Haden, Justin Layne, Cameron Sutton and James Pierre on their cornerback depth chart.

The Steelers now have further depth at cornerback with the addition of Witherspoon, while the Seahawks brought in additional draft capital.