The secondary is the area the Steelers have hit the hardest in free agency, bringing in some notable, significant additions. Retaining Asante Samuel Jr. and adding three outside free agents, this will be a different unit yet again. And it’s a unit defensive captain Cam Heyward seems particularly excited about. After all, a better secondary gives him more time to rush.
“I’m also happy for the free agents we brought in, too”, the long-time Steelers defender said of the secondary additions on his Not Just Football podcast. “You can look through and see a guy like Jamel Dean, who is a man corner, who can tackle. That’s gonna be really fun to see. Darnell Savage, another guy who has a lot of position flexibility. Jaquan Brisker, also played with Joey Porter Jr. Another guy that’s gonna have to live up to playing in Pittsburgh”.
Of course, the Steelers hit the secondary in free agency and via trade last year, with less spectacular effects. As free agents, they signed CBs Darius Slay and Brandin Echols, as well as S Juan Thornhill. Of the three, only one finished the season under contract. That would be Echols, who seems relegated to the back burner in this group.
With their latest free agency moves, the secondary figures to have two new starters. Jamel Dean will man one cornerback spot opposite Joey Porter Jr. It’s likely that Jaquan Brisker occupies a starting safety spot, but Jalen Ramsey’s role complicates that. With the current formulation, his best spot would seem to be in the slot. But he could, arguably, be on the field for every snap, moving around as needed.
The other starter in the secondary is DeShon Elliott, whom they brought in via free agency in 2024. He missed most of last season due to injury, but should be back to full health in 2026. Elliott, Ramsey, Porter, Dean, and Brisker give them a strong top five, at least on paper.
Beyond that, the Steelers have Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols, and the free agency acquisition S Darnell Savage as additional options in the secondary. Any one of them could play in a dime role, especially given the Steelers’ proclivity for three-safety looks. At least, they have favored it in the past under Mike Tomlin, but Tomlin is gone. And we can’t forget about Cory Trice Jr. and Donte Kent, who were both injured last year.
The best-laid plans don’t always yield the desired results, though. But given the Steelers’ struggles to develop secondary draft picks, free agency seems a reasonable alternative. Joey Porter Jr. looks to have panned out, but their recent track record otherwise is not great.
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