Chandon Sullivan understands the lay of the land by now.
After all, the 26-year-old had to cut his teeth the hard way to make it in the NFL, after going undrafted out of Georgia State in 2018.
Seventy-one games across five seasons have gone by, and he is one of the newest members of the Steelers' secondary brought in and expected to make an impact as part of an offseason overhaul.
It just happened to work out that he gets to line up next to his old running mate in Minnesota, the future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson.
Perhaps, though, not by coincidence.
“It’s kind of cool. Another year with Pat P," Sullivan said this week during the Steelers' OTAs on the South Side. "He’s like an older brother to me. We hang out outside football. He’s kind of like a mentor, so I’m excited to be back around here and be around guys like Levi (Wallace). We were on the same Senior Bowl team coming out, and it’s just fun.”
Sullivan spent the 2022 season with the Vikings after playing the previous three with the division rival Packers. The Steelers are his fourth NFL team, after he started his career with the Eagles in 2018. He played in all 17 games and started 10, but perhaps had his best season last year while playing alongside Peterson as he defended a career-best seven passes. While he did not haul in an interception, Sullivan also posed a career-high 60 tackles, including a career-best 45 solo stops, and added 2.0 tackles for loss. Minnesota's pass defense ranked second-to-last in the NFL in yards allowed per game last season, but the Vikings also ran a primarily zone coverage scheme under Ed Donatell, who since has been fired and replaced with former Steelers coach Brian Flores.
He played 2,200 out of nearly 3,000 total career snaps inside the slot, which is likely how he will appear within the Steelers secondary with Cam Sutton and Arthur Maulet having moved on. That role clearly suits the 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback, and it's one he embraces with stride. According to Pro Football Focus, Sullivan was heavily tested by opposing offenses by being targeted 91 times, tied for fourth in the league.
"I think that was my role coming into the league," Sullivan said. "I came in undrafted and I’m still here six years later. My role coming in was to be versatile, but I feel like the last two, three seasons, I’ve pretty much settled in as a slot corner. I have a lot to learn and prove on, but I still feel like I’m a valuable option.”
Sullivan and Peterson were two of five members of the Vikings' secondary to play in all 17 regular-season games last season. Peterson tied for the team lead with his five interceptions and was the overall leader in passes defended with 15.
Together, they get to do it again in Pittsburgh.
"Sully is a smart player, a tough player," Peterson said this week. "He's a guy that fits this Pittsburgh mentality. "He's a guy that is going to stick his face in the fan, mostly from the slot. He's a highly competitive guy. ... He's been around the league. He's been in some big-time games. He understands the ramification of games. We're definitely happy to have a veteran presence with Chandon."
Peterson signed a two-year contract to join the Steelers in March, and Sullivan was brought in at the end of April.
That timing is not a coincidence.
"No doubt about it," Peterson said this week. "I said, 'Chandon, this might want to be a spot for you to come check out.' Sure enough, he ended up signing here."
Sullivan mentioned he views Peterson as a complement to his style of play, which tends to be more inside the box as a physical cornerback whereas Peterson profiles as the ball hawk.
"Sometimes we’re in each other’s head, we don’t really have to say too much, and that’s just from experience," Sullivan said. "Another situation, another team, so hopefully we keep that moving.”
And the biggest lesson Sullivan learned from Peterson?
“Consistency. Just trying to be as consistent as you can and learn ways to continue to take care of your body off the field," Sullivan said. "He’s in Year 13, I believe, so I just want to know the secrets. How can you stay in this game and compete at such hard positions? Corner, slot, those are hard positions, so that’s what he’s taught me.”
