The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for veteran safety help. Not through a trade but free agency. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed the team will work out Vonn Bell and Eddie Jackson today. That news was previously unreported.
“It’s just a normal procedure for us on Monday and Tuesday like it is for the other 31 teams,” Tomlin said of the Steelers working out Bell and Jackson via the team’s YouTube channel. “We’re continually evaluating what’s out there and how we could potentially be better.”
Tomlin shared the information after being asked about the team’s reported plans to sign veteran WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, whom the team attempted to acquire at the start of the season.
Bell or Jackson could add reinforcements to a Steelers secondary dealing with injuries. Strong safety DeShon Elliott suffered a hyperextended knee in the Steelers’ Sunday loss to the Green Bay Packers and though Tomlin’s comments were more positive than media reports, calling Elliott week-to-week, he still could miss a chunk of time during a crucial stretch of the Steelers’ season. Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and Jabrill Peppers are the only other healthy safeties on the roster, though Jalen Ramsey has also played safety in the team’s base packages throughout the year.
Bell, who turns 31 later this year, is a familiar name to the AFC North. He spent four seasons and two stints with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020-2022 and again in 2024. A ninth-year veteran, Bell has appeared in 139 games with 117 starts. He’s recorded 760 tackles (28 for a loss) with 9.5 sacks and eight interceptions. Best working near the line of scrimmage, he made up a formidable pairing with FS Jessie Bates in Cincinnati.
Bell has been a free agent since March.
Jackson, turning 32 in December, is an eighth-year vet with 104 career starts. A two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro early in his career, he spent the bulk of his NFL time with the Chicago Bears. Bouncing around the last few seasons, he split 2024 between the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. In nine games with the Ravens, he recorded 30 tackles and one pass breakup.
Like Bell, he’s been a free agent since the new league year began.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers sign one of them later today. Pittsburgh could add either to its practice squad and elevate to the Active/Inactive roster, a move teams can do up to three times with a player. That could bridge the gap until Elliott returns to the lineup. It’s not clear if Bell or Jackson would have an immediate role in the defense and obviously, both players would need time to learn the system and scheme.
