The Pittsburgh Steelers secondary has been a weakness for years. With the addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick, defenses found that passing on the Steelers wasn’t as fluid as it once was.
Let’s take a look at the Steelers safeties heading into training camp.
Looking back at 2019
The Steelers shocked the world with the in-season trade for Fitzpatrick, and it immediately paid dividends. When targeted, Fitzpatrick allowed only 89 yards passing and no TDs. Terrell Edmunds and Kameron Kelly, on the other hand, were passed on for 518 yards and four scores.
Looking ahead at 2020
The Steelers are rolling into training camp with the same core group they ended the 2019 season with, minus Kelly, who was waived in December following his arrest on misdemeanor charges. Fitzpatrick enters his first Steelers training camp as a lock at free safety. And it appears, for now, that Edmunds’ job at strong safety is his to lose. Veteran Jordan Dangerfield and rookie Antonie Brooks, Jr. will battle it out at camp for the backup spot. Marcus Allen, who is entering his third season, and spent most of last year on the practice squad, will start camp behind Fitzpatrick.
Overall
Beyond Fitzpatrick, the corp of safeties is a glaring concern. Dangerfield has the most experience of all of them, with 1,909 snaps during his six-year career as a Steeler. I’d be surprised if Brooks can make a name for himself given his rookie status, but stranger things have happened.
