The Pittsburgh Steelers have their work cut out for them this offseason as they try to build a contending roster. No longer in a “reloading” stage, they are now a team looking for answers rather than filling gaps. After another disappointing season in 2023, we look back on the roster as we move into the next phase.
Position: Safety
Total Positional Figure: 7
Additions: 0
Deletions: 1
Players Retained:
Under Contract:
Minkah Fitzpatrick: A three-time All-Pro, Fitzpatrick had his worst season in 2023. Horrible injury luck played a big part in that, but even when healthy, he failed to rise to his highest levels. He finished the season without an interception after leading the league with six the previous season.
Damontae Kazee: Entering his third season with the Steelers, Kazee is your now starter pending future developments. He split starting duties last year with Keanu Neal, whom the team just released. Kazee’s up-and-down style of play makes him vulnerable perhaps including his roster spot. Defenses burned him on multiple occasions last season when he tried to make a play he couldn’t reach.
Trenton Thompson: Thompson is the wild-card in the safety group. He played more than 200 defensive snaps last season due to injuries before suffering an injury himself. During that time, he garnered positive reviews for his play. Can he earn at least the dime role in 2024?
Jalen Elliott: A football journeyman, Elliott’s only in-game experience came in 2021 with the Detroit Lions. He spent the 2023 season bouncing on and off the Steelers’ practice squad. At 6-1 and 205 pounds, he has size for the position.
Nathan Meadors: The Steelers signed Meadors to the practice squad after Christmas. Originally a 2019 college free agent, he’s since bounced all around the league. He last played in a regular-season game in 2020. The team retained him after the season on a Reserve/Future contract.
Pending Free Agents:
Miles Killebrew: A 2023 All-Pro special teamer, Killebrew hits free agency at the peak of his leverage. Not that it’s saying much for special teams, but “All-Pro” always looks good on your resume. No doubt the Steelers intend to re-sign him. He just completed a two-year, $4 million contract. During the 2023 season, he blocked another punt and got his hands on a second one.
Elijah Riley: Riley battled injuries last season. He initially found himself in the mix for the slot defender job. Ultimately, he logged 50 defensive snaps in 13 games and 216 on special teams. Between his flexibility and special teams value, he is a sensible re-sign, provided it’s for the minimum.
Additions: N/A
Deletions:
Keanu Neal: The Steelers announced Neal’s release yesterday, one year into a two-year, $4.25 million deal. The eight-year veteran played 430 snaps in nine games before suffering a significant rib injury. He sustained the injury while returning an interception, which at the time did not appear season-endingly severe.
Offseason Strategy:
The Steelers releasing Neal strengthens the notion that they hope to upgrade the starting lineup in free agency. Many teams have released veteran starting safeties, including former All-Pro Justin Simmons. The Buffalo Bills’ Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are both on the market too.
From Jamal Adams to Kevin Byard to Geno Stone and Terrell Edmunds and plenty of others, this is a buyer’s market for veteran safeties. It’s deep enough that the Steelers exiting without one can only be met with surprise. Historically, the safety market is often weaker than most positions.
One variable is Patrick Peterson. They are seemingly still working out his contract. If he remains on the roster, however, they know that he has the flexibility to play safety as well. Do they believe in that enough as a full-time player? Probably not. Not as Plan A, anyway. (Editor’s note: the Steelers reportedly released Peterson Friday, shortly after this published.)
