4 reasons Steelers need to lock up SS Terrell Edmunds long-term
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers didn’t exercise the fifth-year option for Terrell Edmunds, but perhaps they should consider signing the safety to a long-term extension.
Some Steelers fans probably saw this headline and wondered what reasoning I could offer up for trying to extend Terrell Edmunds to a long-term contract. Pittsburgh didn’t even exercise the fifth-year option for the strong safety this offseason, and many think he’s easily replaceable.
What we have seen out of Edmunds so far hasn’t exactly been spectacular, but let’s not pretend that he was a bad player last year just because we didn’t love where the Steelers took him in the 2018 NFL Draft. In fact, Edmunds was surprisingly good in 2020 – a huge step up from where he was in the previous season.
Finances are obviously tight for Pittsburgh at the time, but things will be opening up in a big way after the 2021 season. Here’s why the Steelers may want to consider giving Terrell Edmunds a contract extension that will keep him around long-term:
Youth and athletic traits
When it comes to youth and athletic traits, Edmunds has an impressive combination of both. Despite already entering his 4th NFL season in 2021, Edmunds turned just 24 years old this offseason, and there is plenty of reason to believe the young strong safety can continue to make improvements.
In addition, Edmunds possesses rare athletic traits at the safety position. At the NFL Combine in 2018, the former Virginia Tech safety ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and earned elite explosion numbers – recording a 41.5” vertical and a remarkable 11’2” broad jump, according to Mockdraftable. He did all of this at 6′ 1/2” and 217 pounds with a 92nd percentile wingspan. Edmunds shows that he is still improving, and these traits are worth betting on.