The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested heavily in the defensive secondary throughout the 2026 offseason. Several free-agent signings were completed, and the team also used a third-round pick on cornerback Daylen Everette. There has been confusion surrounding one individual, however, and that is veteran Darnell Savage Jr. The NFL journeyman was said to be signing with the organization months ago, but something was holding it up. General Manager Omar Khan and his staff were clearly waiting for something to play out prior to actually putting pen to paper and inking a deal.
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Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan looks out to the crowd and takes it all in as the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice being held at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There has been a lot of speculation about what could have been holding up the signing. One of the theories was that the Steelers were already stacked in the secondary and the defender might have been trying to land a gig elsewhere. There were also some thoughts out there that insinuated there could have been some sort of injury issue.
Now, with mandatory minicamp beginning on Tuesday, NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that Savage is set to sign with the Steelers just in time for a big part of the offseason program.
Veteran safety Darnell Savage Jr., has signed with #Steelers, per veteran agent Seth Katz. Katz told @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 2, 2026
'Darnell is excited about playing for the Steelers' https://t.co/GM6Bg9tTqA
This adds a new layer of depth to a unit that already had plenty of it in the first place. Pittsburgh made sure to get this across the finish line, and it's possible that the veteran just needed a little bit more time.
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Then-Jacksonville Jaguars safety Darnell Savage (6) catches a pass during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla.
The dynamic duo of DeShon Elliott and Jaquan Brisker will lead the way for the Steelers at safety, and Jalen Ramsey will also be a factor. However, having someone like Savage who has experience and could step in at a moment's notice is a good thing to be able to rely on. Additionally, Elliott is coming off of a serious injury and surgery, so no one knows just yet how he will rebound in 2026.
It took a good while for this all to come to fruition, and it's even possible that the veteran in Savage didn't want to be forced into having to participate in Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Regardless, he is expected to now be in the building for the remainder of the summer, but it will be up to him to make an impression so he can somehow find a way onto September's roster.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers safety DeShon Elliott takes a knee as he catches a breather while the team goes through a 2024 Organized Team Activities practice in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Will Not Make It Easy For Savage To Make The Team
Having a deep bench anywhere is important, but especially so in the defensive secondary because of the common soft tissue injuries that occur. Pittsburgh seems to have finally rounded out its depth chart in this specific area, so it will be intriguing to see if the safety still has what it takes at 28 years of age to make the 53-man roster come late August.
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