PITTSBURGH — You might not expect to see an NFL player who’s earned more than $7 million over six years in the league waiting at a stoplight on foot, getting ready to cross Hot Metal Street in the South Side.

But Anthony Averett’s walk back to his hotel each day from the Steelers practice facility is emblematic of his entire Pittsburgh experience for the past month. At 29, he was the oldest player in the team’s rookie camp on May 10 by more than two years. The Steelers invited him to try out alongside draft picks, undrafted rookies and a slew of others who might already be working at the local car dealership by now.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Averett, a fourth-round pick in 2018 after winning two national championships as a cornerback at Alabama, knows all about being on the fringes.

“I’m still here, so that’s all that matters,” Averett said after a recent OTAs practice. “I know a lot of people in my [draft] class aren’t even playing right now. It’s a blessing to be here, and definitely going to take advantage of this opportunity.”

And he didn’t particularly care how he got here.

After two injury-plagued seasons — including last year when he wasn’t on an active roster at all — the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Averett just wanted anyone to pick up the phone and call.

The Steelers did, but only wanted to take a look at him in the two-day rookie camp.

Averett thought back to his pro day coming out of Alabama, the dinner Crimson Tide players had that week with Mike Tomlin — who can probably remember each player he met with, what they ordered, and how they talked to their teammates — and figured the Steelers always had their eye on him. So he packed his bags and tried to show what he could do among 20 other tryout players who had no guarantee of signing a contract after that weekend.

“You could say it was a little bit of both — humbling, and it was fun,” Averett smiled. “I was playing football again, so at the end of the day, nobody could question me about this love for the game. It definitely takes a humble guy to come in for rookie minicamp. But hey, I love the game, bro.”

DeShon Elliott will back him up on that.

Elliott, who roomed with Averett when they were rookies in 2018 with the Baltimore Ravens, respects his former and now current teammate again for his path to Pittsburgh.

While Elliott signed here with the assurances baked into a two-year, $6 million deal, he knows Averett had to make a decision about what football was worth to him. Not just to chase the Steelers’ offer, but also to stay engaged and in shape since he was released from the Detroit Lions practice squad last November, not long before their momentous playoff run.

“The fact that he could swallow his pride, go out there and say [expletive] it, I’m going to compete and work my ass off and battle?” Elliott said. “And the fact that he was training and preparing? That’s hard to do once you get older.”

Elliott also was quick to acknowledge Averett has two kids, so it might’ve been easy to walk away from the NFL journey or let himself slowly drift into the margins of free agents who sit on a general manager’s list somewhere. Instead, he put the nomadic nature of his past two years behind him and signed up for more.

At his best, Averett started 14 games for the Ravens, picked off three passes and had 11 breakups with 54 tackles. The Las Vegas Raiders signed him for one year, $4.5 million, and he started six of seven games played amid toe and thumb injuries.

The odds are stacked against him to stick with the Steelers, especially with Cam Sutton in the mix now.

They already traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one veteran cornerback in Donte Jackson, and second-year guys Darius Rush and Cory Trice have a major advantage in youth and size.

What Averett wants to prove is that his value is in versatility. He’s playing outside corner for now but insists he’s open to the nickel spot, too, if it presents itself.

“Whatever they need, to be honest,” Averett said. “I’ve played both sides and a lot of special teams, too, with the Ravens — mostly every phase.”

One thing he won’t do is doubt himself. He believes he can make a difference in the NFL, no matter how much of a long shot he seems to be at the moment.

But he’d love to do it with the Steelers, an old friend like Elliott around and even older friend in Minkah Fitzpatrick. Averett was two years ahead of Fitzpatrick at Alabama and still remembers when they first met.

“Hell, yeah. I knew Minkah was different when — I think it was his high school spring break, and he came to Tuscaloosa just to watch us practice,” Averett said with a laugh. “I’m like, ‘He’s different.’ Not at all surprised by that now that I know him. Still the same player, still the same person.”

As for Averett, he feels a bit like a rookie again. His 2,097 NFL snaps, plus three games of playoff experience with Baltimore, don’t matter much now.

With OTAs complete, he now has a week of minicamp to make the case for bringing him to Latrobe next month. If not, back to square one. If so, those walks to and from work might be worth it.

“When I’m healthy,” Averett said, “I know I can still play.”