When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran safety Miles Killebrew as a free agent in March 2021, it was expected that the Steelers were getting a special teams ace, one that would solidify a shaky portion of the roster overall.
So far, he’s done just that. And the Steelers might just have defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to thank for that acquisition — sort of.
Austin, who spoke to the media Tuesday following practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, stated that he “wanted Miles here” in Pittsburgh due to the past relationship they had. Austin was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014-17 and played a key role in the Lions drafting Killebrew out of Southern Utah in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
“I drafted Miles, and so I wanted him here ’cause I know he’s a valuable guy in the locker room. I know he’s a valuable guy as a backup safety, a box-type safety and in special teams,” Austin told reporters Tuesday, according to video via Steelers.com. “And so he’s valuable. When Keanu [Neal] got dinged, he came in the game, and we don’t miss a beat.
“We like Miles. I like Miles. Miles does a great, he brings a great mindset to the team and he’s really valuable.”
Though Killebrew was mostly a special teams guy in Detroit from 2016-2020, he played more than 500 snaps defensively for Austin in the 2016 and 2017 seasons combined, playing a key rotational role for Detroit in the secondary.
Though the Lions ultimately moved on from Austin, which eventually led to him to his hometown Steelers two years later, that relationship between Austin and Killebrew played a key role in the Steelers signing the versatile, dependable veteran in free agency.
Three years later, Killebrew continues to make an impact for the Steelers on and off the field. On Sunday against the Ravens, Killebrew had a huge punt block that led to a safety — his third blocked punt as a Steeler — that was the spark that led to the Steelers coming back for a 17-10 win over the Ravens.
He also saw a snap defensively for Pittsburgh when Neal, the veteran safety, left the game briefly with an injury, stepping into Neal’s role quickly and efficiently. It was just one snap, but it was in a key situation with the Ravens inside Pittsburgh territory and Killebrew was asked to cover. He did his job, and the Steelers didn’t a miss a beat, as Austin said.
Killebrew is a team captain for a reason and has the trust and respect of his teammates and coaches. He’s been a welcome addition, thanks to Austin, too. Sort of.
