The Pittsburgh Steelers were fairly active on Day 1 of the legal tampering period, with the team reportedly agreeing to terms with RB Rico Dowdle and CB Jamel Dean. The Steelers also brought back some of their own, re-signing DL Esezi Otomewo, LB Cole Holcomb and CB Asante Samuel Jr. Additionally, the Steelers traded for WR Michael Pittman Jr., giving the offense a legitimate WR2 option.
While it was a busy day, The Athletic’s Mike Jones and Daniel Popper had mixed opinions on Pittsburgh’s free agency moves. The duo graded the team’s signings of Dowdle, Dean and Samuel, with the Dean signing given a C. However, the signing of Samuel got a B while bringing Dowdle in helped the team receive an A.
Jones graded the team’s reported re-signing of Samuel and praised the $4 million salary as a “steal.” He wrote that a healthy Samuel can “deliver difference-making production.” While his role was limited with the Steelers last season as he hopped on the moving train late, Samuel will likely be the top backup at outside cornerback for the Steelers. He’s a proven talent from his days with the Los Angeles Chargers, but spinal fusion surgery threw a wrench in his career.
He was able to get healthy enough to get on the field with the Steelers last season, and they’ll hope that he can produce at a higher level this season.
Popper wasn’t a fan of Pittsburgh’s reported signing of Dean due to his injury history.
“There are some legitimate injury concerns with the cornerback as he enters his age-30 season. Over the past three seasons, he has missed time with foot, back, hamstring, knee and hip flexor injuries. When healthy, Dean is a big and fast corner. He is an easy mover for his size. This is a risky contract given the checkered past.”
Dean is coming off a strong 2025 season and pairs well across from Joey Porter Jr. The injury concerns are legitimate, as he’s played just 39 games over the past three seasons. But he’s also one of the most reliable tackling corners, and the Steelers likely feel it’s a risk worth taking given their projected cornerback depth. They re-signed Samuel and will also likely address cornerback through the draft, and probably fairly early. Signing another corner isn’t out of the question, either.
But the Steelers will hope Dean stays healthy. It’s a sizable commitment, but had Dean not dealt with injuries, he likely would’ve earned more given some of the cornerback contracts handed out yesterday.
Dowdle’s reported signing got an A from Jones, who likes his familiarity with Mike McCarthy. Dowdle is a cheaper option than Kenneth Gainwell, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the day after being a key piece of Pittsburgh’s offense in 2025. He’s also a physical back who can run between the tackles and went over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons. He’ll be the No. 2 to Jaylen Warren, but the two will make a strong duo.
The Steelers are almost certainly not done adding to their roster, but so far, the team has addressed some of its biggest needs. While the early reviews may be mixed, none of it will matter until we can truly assess the play on the field.
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