Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
S DARNELL SAVAGE
Experience/age: eighth season, turns 29 next week
Contract status: $1.262 million cap hit in 2026, after which scheduled for unrestricted free agency
The past: Seven years ago, Savage was so coveted in the draft coming out of Maryland that the Green Bay Packers traded up to No. 21 overall to select him. Over his five-year rookie contract with Green Bay (the Packers even picked up his fifth-year option for 2023), Savage started 76 of the 79 games he played (including playoffs), totaling 10 interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns), 43 passes defended and 327 tackles (243 solo, 12 for loss).
Savage joined the Jacksonville Jaguars via a three-year, $21.76 million deal in 2024. But after starting for them in his debut season, he fell out of favor under the staff of then-new coach Liam Coen last year and was released after playing sparingly over the first two games of the season. Ten mostly-uneventful weeks with the Washington Commanders followed until Savage requested a release and was granted one in December. He played the final two games of the regular season for the Buffalo Bills but appeared on the field for just three defensive snaps during their two-game playoff run.
Joey Porter Jr, Jamel Dean and newly-signed Darnell Savage watch as other Steelers DBs drill early at minicamp practice Tuesday pic.twitter.com/upgHFEA414
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 2, 2026
2026 outlook: Savage officially signed with the Steelers in early June, almost three months after him joining the team had been widely reported. Though Savage nor the team have elaborated on the record, it is believed there was a medical hold up.
Savage joins a Steelers safety corps that lost four of the top six who took snaps at the position last season (Kyle Dugger, Chuck Clark, Juan Thornhill and Jabrill Peppers), and that does not even account for Jalen Ramsey, who played safety for the second half of 2025 but is expected to play closer to the line of scrimmage more often in 2026. Still, the Steelers welcome back DeShon Elliott after he missed most of last season because of injury, and they signed quality veteran Jaquan Brisker to start alongside him. Ramsey will surely take at least some snaps lined up at safety, rookie seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings might make the team because of his special-teams abilities and Sebastian Castro was solid as an undrafted rookie on special teams last season.
If any of the younger guys step up, Savage’s roster spot could be in jeopardy. But he also could serve a role as prominent as the No. 3 safety, a spot that in the recent past was filled capably by Damonte Kazee.
Roughly half of Savage’s playing time over his career has come while lined up as a deep free safety. Among the other half, the vast majority is a near-even split of lining up in the slot/nickel or as an in-the-box safety.