The Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary faced a lot of woes in 2025, including major injuries, poor performances, and some position changes. The Black and Gold lost starting safety DeShon Elliott to a season-ending injury early on in the season and had to fill his role with stopgap veterans before moving Jalen Ramsey to the spot and trading for Kyle Dugger. Pittsburgh's secondary also lacked a true running mate for emerging star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and all of these issues were big points of emphasis during the 2026 offseason.
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Jalen Ramsey takes the field before the Steelers’ game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers understood that in order for them to become a dominant defense again, it starts with taking opposing receivers out of games. They already have a star-studded defensive line, and now the secondary needed some attention. In consequence, the Steelers brass signed cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker to add some firepower to the group. Despite adding another safety, who has proven to be solid throughout his NFL tenure in Brisker, there are still questions about the depth of the position group and how Elliott will bounce back from a major injury.
Though questions remain about the safety position being thin, the front office did make a conscious effort to add to the room. Steelers General Manager Omar Khan spoke to the media on the first day of training camp and expressed that he is comfortable with where the secondary is as it stands.
"We haven't had a chance to see Jamel Dean on the field, [Brandin] Echols, DeShon Elliott, will be out there. We'll be smart about how we work those guys and get them ready, but we feel good about the depth we had and the group we had in the offseason, and we still feel good about it today," Khan said.
A boost of confidence from the general manager is always nice, but this group has its fair share of "prove-it" players in 2026. Pittsburgh needs its safeties in particular to be able to handle the load. Elliott was effective before his injury, but coming back 100% is a tall task. He's proven that he can play up close to the line of scrimmage and stuff the run, and he remains fairly reliable in coverage. However, one of the new faces at the position, Brisker, is a rather similar player.
Pittsburgh's new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is already assigned with a difficult project when trying to turn a veteran defense that was once among the league's best, back into that type of group. He will now have to navigate how not to give up big plays with two safeties who are most effective closer to the line of scrimmage. This will be something to watch as training camp progresses, as many defenses are adopting a two-safety look that throws a ton of disguised pre-snap movements.
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Steelers' Jaquan Brisker (left) with cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (right) during the 2026 offseason.
There's A Reason For Confidence In The Steelers' Secondary
Pittsburgh adding Dean to a cornerback room that already has Porter will only help the Black and Gold prevent teams with multiple elite receivers from throwing all over them. The Steelers have a ton of solid depth at corner. Ramsey can play anywhere on the defense, and though the depth isn't amazing at safety, the two starters are a much better tandem than 2025's group.
There's a lot of reason for optimism, and Khan's comments about appropriately managing them are important. It will come down to placing players in the right areas for them to succeed. For the safeties especially, the Steelers don't have a true coverage safety, so Elliott and Brisker must be placed in spots where that lack of skill is not overly exposed. Pittsburgh misses a true "centerfielder" back there, but modern defenses have gone away from a one-high safety look. This is good news for Pittsburgh and something that they'll surely implement as the season gets closer. This group should hopefully take some big steps in the right direction in 2026.
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