Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a concerted effort to improve their secondary in free agency. They’ve shored up the back end by bringing in safeties Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz believes their other defensive back addition — now-former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean — should be receiving more attention.
The Steelers inked Dean to a three-year, $36.75 million deal, promptly replacing James Pierre, who left to join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.
“Dean led the NFL in my cornerback coverage DVOA metric last season, ahead of superstars such as Derek Stingley Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell,” Schatz wrote. “Cornerback statistics are notoriously inconsistent from season to season, so you can’t count on Dean to have another outstanding season in 2026. But he was above average in 2024 as well and will turn 30 years old in October.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) runs an intercepted back for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA. — Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images
Per Pro Football & Sports Network, Dean allowed a 46.9 passer rating against last season, the lowest in the NFL. Dean’s new coverage partner, Joey Porter Jr., posted a 56.2 mark, which ranked third. Dean gave up just one touchdown reception last season and didn’t allow any the season before that. Quarterbacks only completed 46.3% of the passes they threw his way last go-round.
Dean spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Buccaneers, starting 77 games.
The Steelers also brought back Asante Samuel Jr., who played six games for them last season and started three. He had an interception and 10 total tackles.
Mentioned In This Article: Jamel Dean Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers