Like Keanu Neal, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Keanu Neal
Position: Safety
Experience: 8 Years
The Steelers signed veteran S Keanu Neal to a two-year, $4.25 million contract in 2023. They released him one year into that contract, thereby saving the remaining $2.25 million minus roster displacement. Since that time, they signed veteran DeShon Elliott, his two-year deal reportedly worth $6 million.
Neal only played in nine games for the Steelers last season before suffering a season-ending rib injury. He made eight starts, logging 430 snaps, or roughly two-thirds of the defensive total while splitting time with Damontae Kazee.
By the time of his injury, Neal had contributed 50 tackles, including one for loss, with one interception and two passes defensed along with a fumble recovery. He suffered his injury while returning an interception against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10.
The Steelers put him on the Reserve/Injured List in the week following his injury, yet they appeared to hold out hope of him playing again. The specific nature and severity of his injury the team never made public, but we know he didn’t play again.
Along with Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers still retained Kazee and now added Elliott. They also re-signed special teams ace Miles Killebrew, and Trenton Thompson is back as well. Given their propensity to use three safeties, I suspect we’ll continue to see Kazee, along with Elliott.
Neal was more of an in-the-box safety, having even played a bit of linebacker in his past. Elliott has more versatility with experience playing both strong and free safety. Next to Fitzpatrick, of course, he will spend more time at strong safety, but he is a player they can move around a bit as well.
Will he be a full-time starter, though, the way they had with Terrell Edmunds? Splitting snaps between Neal and Kazee last year proved less than ideal. Is Elliott the new Neal, or the new starter with Kazee serving as a dime defender and reserve?
