All my ex’s live in Texas. And all the Pittsburgh Steelers free agents now reside in East Rutherford. Former Steelers safety Elijah Riley is the latest to sign with the New York Giants, inking a deal with the team Thursday.
Riley is one of several Steelers free agents to sign with the Giants this offseason. He joins WR Miles Boykin and WR Allen Robinson II while WR Gunner Olszewski signed with the team last season after being cut by Pittsburgh.
Riley, 25, played sparingly on defense in 2023, logging just 50 total snaps. Most of his time came as a core special teamer with over 200 snaps. He finished the year with 12 tackles and one sack across 13 games. Riley also missed a month with an ankle injury suffered in the team’s second meeting against the Cleveland Browns.
A cornerback out of Army, he transitioned to safety at the NFL level. A well-built defensive back with hit power, Riley served as depth but struggled to carve out a consistent defensive role. Even when he returned healthy to finish out last season, he played behind Eric Rowe and Patrick Peterson at safety. Elijah Riley was inactive for the team’s Wild Card loss against the Buffalo Bills.
He originally was claimed off waivers by the Steelers in August 2022. He appeared in four games during the season, making five tackles. Undrafted in 2020, he’s also spent time with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. For his Steelers career, Riley played in 17 games, making 17 tackles.
Pittsburgh’s safety room has undergone plenty of change this offseason. The team cut Keanu Neal while Riley is now officially off the board. The Steelers signed veteran DeShon Elliott to play strong safety next to Minkah Fitzpatrick while sixth-round pick Ryan Watts, a college corner, has been working at safety throughout the spring.
