Will Jamel Dean start for the length of his contract with the Steelers?
Jamel Dean was the Steelers’ biggest free-agent acquisition, but what are his long-term prospects with the team? Obviously, long-term is relative in this case, as he is nearly 30 years old. But for our purposes, a long-term resolution for Dean and the Steelers would be fulfilling his contract as a starter.
The Steelers signed Jamel Dean to a three-year, $36.75 million contract. Will he be a starter—a quality starter—by the end of it? His contract ends in 2028, by which point he’ll be 32 years old. That’s not too old for a cornerback, but many have certainly fallen off by then.
Dean is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, intercepting three passes with a pick-six. Up to this point, he hasn’t shown any worrying signs of degrading skills. He can still play in press-man coverage, which is what they want him to do. But as we’ve seen in the past, athletically demanding positional players can decline rapidly. Remember Ike Taylor in his final year or two?
The Steelers have relied on experienced veteran cornerbacks for years, going back to signing Joe Haden in 2017. After that, they never duplicated the same level of success. They had some wins, albeit brief, with Steven Nelson and Ahkello Witherspoon. Others, like Levi Wallace, Coty Sensabaugh, Patrick Peterson, Donte Jackson, and Darius Slay, proved not to be the answer. Jamel Dean, at least on paper, looks to have as good a chance as any of them to work out, if not better.
At least for now, the Steelers did themselves a favor by keeping an option in their back pocket. Although they only re-signed him to a one-year deal, they retained Asante Samuel Jr. A severe neck injury derailed Samuel’s career as a starter. He has a chance to regain his footing, but for now, he has to wait behind Dean.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseasonlossesand no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for the Steelers and us, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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