With former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Anthony Averett now joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, he becomes the latest example of Jerry Seinfeld’s legendary “we cheer for clothes” routine.
“You’re basically standing and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city,” Seinfeld famously quipped. “This is the same human being, in a different shirt.”
The principle certainly applies in any situation where a player switches sides from one hated rival to the other, and Ravens-Steelers is as heated a rivalry as it gets.
According to multiple outlets, including the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Averett will now get a chance to make the Steelers’ 53-man roster. He was first signed on a mini-camp tryout arrangement, but obviously he impressed the coaches enough to earn a more conventional deal.
He is expected to potentially be a contributor in special teams, and maybe in nickel and dime type packages. It is possible, in certain situations that he could slot in at a safety position in addition to cornerback.
“I definitely know this division, been around four year, I know when they play Renegade, the stadium goes wild. It’s a good rivalry, love the tradition here,” Averett told reporters at rookie minicamp.
“I know when I was on the Ravens, we always respected Pittsburgh and I know the feeling is mutual.”
Averett was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round in 2018. He spent four years with the club before moving on to the Raiders before then have practice squad stints with Detroit and San Francisco.