Pittsburgh Steelers acquire Seattle Seahawks CB Ahkello Witherspoon in trade

Sept. 3 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired fifth-year cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

In a statement released Friday, the Steelers announced they received Witherspoon from the Seahawks in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick. According to the team, the agreement is pending a physical.

To make room on the 53-man roster, the Steelers released defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux.

Witherspoon signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Seahawks earlier this off-season and was expected to compete for a starting job at cornerback. Seattle, however, moved D.J. Reed over to the left side and Tre Flowers into the starting role on the right, leaving Witherspoon expendable.

A day earlier, the Seahawks traded a 2022 sixth-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive back Sidney Jones.

The San Francisco 49ers selected Witherspoon in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Colorado. He started 33 of 47 career games in San Francisco over four seasons.

Witherspoon has notched 117 total tackles, four interceptions, 24 passes defensed and one forced fumble in his career.

The 26-year-old Witherspoon joins Joe Haden, Cam Sutton, James Pierre, Justin Layne and Arthur Maulet in the Steelers' cornerbacks room.