The Pittsburgh Steelers have been much more aggressive in recent offseasons dating back to 2023. General Manager Omar Khan has made several flashy moves, and he didn't stop in the 2026 offseason. He and his staff still want to draft and develop from within, but there is definitely more of an emphasis on bringing in veterans to hold the fort down and make the draft much easier on them. That is expected to keep happening with the new head coach and eventual change at quarterback.
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Steelers' new head coach, Mike McCarthy, with Team President Art Rooney II and General Manager Omar Khan at McCarthy's introductory press conference in Pittsburgh, PA.
Not all of his moves have been successes, though. While making an appearance on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, safety DeShon Elliott detailed a move that he thought Khan should have made prior to the 2025 season.
"I think we didn't have much depth in the secondary the last two years," Elliott said. "I think when we let Donte Jackson go, that made a difference; I think D-Jax should have stayed."
Both Elliott and Donte Jackson were acquired in the 2024 offseason and played very well. Jackson was a splash-play machine, as he was in the Top 10 in interceptions that year. When he was on the field, he was an absolute menace that fit perfectly with Joey Porter Jr.'s style of playing cornerback on the other side of the field. They were an amazing one-two combination in the secondary that made life very hard on opposing quarterbacks.
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Former Steelers CB Donte Jackson gets an interception with support from Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The problem was the injury bug. While he was only out for two games in 2024, Jackson was constantly leaving games early and testing the depth of the defense behind him. He did a great job of playing cornerback in Pittsburgh, but the constant injury issues made it hard for Khan to justify bringing him back, so he allowed him to walk and find a new home somewhere else.
Jackson went to the Los Angeles Chargers and kept up his great production while playing less. He still managed to rack up four interceptions on top of career-bests with 12 passes defended and a 42.9 completion percentage against. He proved that he was still the playmaking cornerback that the Steelers would have loved to have at the time, but at his age and with his injury history, it was not worth the risk to them.
Steelers' Plan To Replace Jackson Was Questionable
After letting Jackson go, the Steelers brought in a significantly older cornerback in Darius Slay to try and replace him. They also traded for Jalen Ramsey to help all over the secondary, including getting some work in on the outside. These moves helped to signify a potential all-in push to finally get over the hump and no longer be a playoff doormat.
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Steelers' Jalen Ramsey and former defensive back Darius Slay during their debuts against the New York Jets in 2025.
It did not work out like that at all, however. Ramsey struggled while moving all over the place and eventually settled on just being the team's free safety. Meanwhile, Slay was benched and eventually released before the season even ended. What made it worse was the fact that he had the same issue Jackson had: he was constantly leaving games early due to injury. The plan had completely backfired on Pittsburgh.
What really saved the Steelers' secondary was the fact that James Pierre had a surprising breakout season in 2025, while also bringing in Asante Samuel Jr. as a midseason addition. With all the issues surrounding Slay and Ramsey, those two men were able to step up and keep the cornerback position from being a total liability. Khan responded by bringing Samuel back and making sure the secondary is loaded with talent for 2026.
What do you think about the idea that the Steelers should have re-signed Jackson prior to the 2025 offseason, as well as how he was replaced? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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