Steelers Free Agent Analysis: Chuck Clark
Position: Safety
Experience: 9 Years (1 with Steelers)
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted
2025 Salary Cap Hit: $1,197,500
2025 Season Breakdown:
The Steelers signed veteran S Chuck Clark in late July to bolster depth in the secondary due to injuries. He made the roster and played the entire season, starting several games. While that is a bigger role than they wanted him to play, he did make some plays.
In 15 games, Chuck Clark made five starts, logging 437 snaps. He also played 189 snaps on special teams, the most action he has seen there this decade. In all, he logged 51 tackles, 2 for loss, with 3 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble.
The Steelers began the season with DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill at safety, with Jalen Ramsey rotating in. After Elliott went down with a season-ending knee injury, Ramsey moved to safety full time, and the team traded for Kyle Dugger. Injuries still necessitated that Clark play, beginning to see time over Thornhill.
They eventually released the latter, Clark serving as the primary backup safety. A former starter, he had his ups and downs, at times looking like a 30-something with an injury history. But at others, he put his veteran experience to good use. That included a deep pass breakup in the playoffs, in which he recorded six tackles.
Free Agency Outlook:
It seems overwhelmingly likely that the top of the market for Chuck Clark will be a one-year, Veteran Salary Benefit contract. There is no downside to the Steelers re-signing him, and it would not preclude them from making any other moves. At this stage of his career, his starting days are behind him.
And last year showed that Clark can still be useful on special teams, which is important to the Steelers. He may not have done it much over the years, but in Pittsburgh, he had no choice. If their new special teams coordinator likes him, that only strengthens his case.
The Steelers havea long list of free agents this year, but not absolutely can’t-lose names, at least debatably. Aaron Rodgers is the presumptive exception, the team already going on record expressing the desire that he return. While the list includes significant players like Kenneth Gainwell and Isaac Seumalo, they are not overwhelmingly pressing priorities. The quarterback question supersedes all, and I don’t foresee another Mason Rudolph spring. There are some choice role players, but they wouldn’t fall apart if they lost the entire lot.
And with the Steelers introducing almost an entirely new coaching regime, the free agency direction is unclear. No doubt we will witness how things evolve in the time between February and March. It’s possible they make some significant moves, a surprising cut, work on a bold trade. After all, this is a new scheme into which they are now building.
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