Terrell Edmunds was a full-time starter the last time he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, he can’t get a helmet in his second stint with the team that drafted him, but for how long? He is on their 53-man roster, but has been a healthy scratch since signing after Week 1.
While he played five years in the Steelers’ system, he has been out of it for a year and a half. Even in Pittsburgh, as Edmunds is finding out, things do change from time to time. He has also been a part of three different defensive schemes since 2022, so it takes time to recalibrate. But a few weeks back into his old stomping grounds, he is feeling the difference.
“It feels good just coming back and getting back acclimated to the team, the city, the environment, the playbook,” Edmunds said on Steelers Nation Radio. “Now, you’re just getting back comfortable with doing what you used to do. I definitely, definitely feel like I feel good now. Ready to go out there and play, whenever that time comes. Just go out there and help the team.”
The Steelers have had multiple opportunities to pursue Terrell Edmunds, their former 2018 first-round pick. Though he reportedly turned down their offer in free agency in 2022, he says he never burned any bridges.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers signed Edmunds because the opportunity presented itself. You don’t often get a chance to add a guy who started five years in your system as a luxury.
But Edmunds is, up to this point, a luxury. Even though Minkah Fitzpatrick loved playing with him, he now has DeShon Elliott. And the Steelers are still using Damontae Kazee as their third safety, who has better coverage skills…arguably.
For now, Terrell Edmunds is actually the sixth safety on the roster, behind Jalen Elliott and Miles Killebrew. The latter is the Steelers’ special teams captain, but occasionally sees defensive snaps. Edmunds may be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency insurance policy. But defensive coordinator Teryl Austin perhaps hinted otherwise on Thursday, saying he expects Edmunds to play “sooner rather than later.” If it’s sooner, Edmunds said he is ready.
“I really wouldn’t say a bike. I think I’d say a motorcycle, because it’s already a moving train,” Edmunds said about readjusting to the Steelers. “Not saying a motorcycle is more difficult. It’s more so, we’re on point right now. We’re 3-0. Not focusing on that, but more so the next game and constantly building as a team and figuring out how I can help the team out.”
During his Steelers career, Edmunds started 75 of 79 games, registering 410 tackles with 15 for loss. He recorded 5 sacks with 6 interceptions and a forced fumble. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, who later traded him to the Tennessee Titans. This offseason, he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, for whom he played in Week 1 as a practice squad elevation.
