It is no secret that the majority of Pittsburgh Steelers fans fell in love with a strong 2023 offseason from General Manager, Omar Khan and his colleagues. There were several key re-signings including safety, Damontae Kazee and defensive lineman, Larry Ogunjobi. The franchise was also extremely aggressive recruiting in external talent. Patrick Peterson, Isaac Seumalo, Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts were all brought in. The new-look Steelers will have the month of August to form a bond and build chemistry on and off the field. It's not hard to argue that this could be the team's most talented roster in over three years.
Steelers Head Coach, Mike Tomlin stands on the playing surface at then-Heinz Field with his hands on his hips prior to a 2021 regular season matchup in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Just like the other 31 teams throughout the NFL, the injury bug will hit throughout the course of any season. Pittsburgh already got hit hard when promising rookie and 2023 seventh-round pick, Cory Trice Jr. went down with a season-ending injury. That has been the biggest blow to the secondary, but there are other ailments hurting the group's preparation for the season.
Star safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick has been missing for personal reasons and there is currently not a timeline for his return to the field. Kazee was recently seen in a boot after suffering an ankle injury. While he is no longer wearing it, he is described as week-to-week and will miss some time. The injury issue in the secondary continued after Keanu Neal missed practice on Friday with an undisclosed injury.
Keanu Neal, who turned up on the injury report yesterday, also is not practicing.
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) August 3, 2023
That has left a ton of first-team reps for Kenny Robinson, Tre Norwood and Elijah Riley. The three only have started a combined 14 games during their times in the NFL and the defense is currently practicing without a ton of experience on the backend. While most of the absences from the three safeties in Fitzpatrick, Kazee and Neal seem to be temporary, the Steelers are in desperate need of a veteran presence right now. Khan has to be regretting a decision to not re-sign a reliable defender.
Former Steelers safety, Terrell Edmunds (#34) stands in the secondary at Acrisure Stadium during a 2022 regular season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Not Re-Signing Terrell Edmunds Was A Huge Mistake
Terrell Edmunds traveled across the state of Pennsylvania to play on a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. He accepted a rather inexpensive contract at $2 million. Pittsburgh's cap situation was very well managed and this would have been an incredibly easy number to match, or even beat. Instead, the Steelers let Edmunds walk and the early stages of training camp are reminding the team and fans that injuries can greatly impact a season.
Robinson has impressed, but no one is sure how sustainable that really is. Edmunds started 75 games for Pittsburgh over the course of five seasons and having a combination of him, Fitzpatrick, Kazee and Neal in 2023 would have given the defense an unusual amount of depth. As it stands right now, however, Edmunds would be the only one on the field.
Edmunds is healthy and seems to be enjoying his time in Philadelphia so far while providing a wealth of knowledge in the secondary. He is one of the team's best leaders on the field.
"I try to be a leader on the defense," Edmunds told Owen Boyle of the Eagles official website. "Regardless of who is on the field, I try to go out there and play my position and help my brothers out."
The Steelers have gotten a harsh reminder that injuries are extremely relevant from the moment training camp starts. Fitzpatrick should be fine without a plethora of practice reps, but if Kazee and Neal deal with ailments to begin the season, Khan and co. are going to be thinking about that small investment that should have been made to bring Edmunds back.
Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick (#39) lurks in the secondary prior to a snap during a 2021 regular season game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The hope is that the Steelers can head into the 2023 campaign completely healthy with their safety group and that everything is okay with Fitzpatrick's personal situation. Robinson, Riley and Norwood are stepping up with the absences, but that's not exactly a trio the team can trust to throw out there in Week 1. It would have been great to have Edmunds out there as he would be providing familiarity with the playbook and a veteran presence. Right now, not bringing him back can, arguably, be looked at as one of the biggest mistakes of the 2023 offseason.
Do you think the Steelers should have done everything possible to bring Edmunds back in free agency? Let us know in the comments below!
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