The Pittsburgh Steelers were fortunate to have no very significant free agents available to them after the 2023 campaign. Mason Rudolph and Miles Killebrew were the two key players on the Steelers 2023 roster whose contracts were up at the end of the season.
Mason Rudolph and Miles Killebrew were the two key players on the Steelers 2023 roster whose contracts were up at the end of the season. Killebrew was able to sign with the Steelers again, but Rudolph was allowed to depart and joined with the Tennessee Titans instead. Other late-season arrivals became free agents, including as safety Eric Rowe, who has been assuring supporters that he is making an effort to rejoin Pittsburgh.
Rowe’s NFL career has been quite successful so far; he played a significant role in two New England Patriots Super Bowl winning teams. He became one of the players on the squad with postseason experience as soon as he joined Pittsburgh in the midst of the 2023 campaign. On November 20, the Steelers signed him to their practice squad. He was later activated for the final three regular season games, which he started. He played a significant role in the Steelers’ late-season surge, and in response to a fan’s question about if he was going back to Pittsburgh, he made it known that he wanted to return.
DeShon Elliott, a safety, was previously acquired by the Steelers in the 2024 offseason, although Rowe was a useful depth player in 2023. Rowe recorded 29 total tackles, an interception, two passes defensed, and a tackle for loss in his three starts during the regular season. With a tonne of postseason experience, he is still a very competent football player and could play a significant role as a seasoned leader in the locker room.
In addition, Rowe started the Steelers’ postseason game against the Buffalo Bills, when he racked up eight tackles overall and one interception. In 2024, Rowe will begin his ninth season in the NFL, and his contract should be reasonably inexpensive. Though it’s unlikely that he wouldn’t outplay the worth of his deal if he performed like he did in 2023, he will undoubtedly cost more than the practice squad contract the Steelers were playing him in 2023.
Because of the thin safety room in the Steelers, Rowe was forced to start crucial games for Pittsburgh. Due to a hit he gave to Michael Pittman Jr. during a game against the Indianapolis Colts, Damontae Kazee was suspended for the balance of the regular season. In 2023, Minkah Fitzpatrick struggled to stay on the field due to several injuries, and Keanu Neal sustained a rib injury in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers that ended his season for the Steelers.
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Steelers’ Best Option At Safety Might Be Eric Rowe
The Steelers have their top three safeties on the depth chart already figured out. The starting duo will likely be Fitzpatrick and Elliot, with Kazee behind both of them. Rounding out the team’s top four safeties with Rowe would be a great decision, mainly due to his price, experience, and versatility.
Throughout Rowe’s career he has played over 1,100 snaps at slot corner, which is arguably the Steelers biggest need on defense. The front office will likely address the position during the 2024 NFL Draft, but it could be valuable to have an experienced veteran on the roster who knows how to play the position. Additionally, if the Steelers find themselves having health issues at safety for the second season in a row, or if Kazee decides to take a guy’s head off again, Rowe is a player the coaching staff can be confident in replacing any player on the field.
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