It doesn’t take long for position groups to be completely overhauled in the NFL. Just going back five seasons to 2020, the only defensive back still with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the preseason gets started is James Pierre.
Heading into that season, all of the talk was centered on Minkah Fitzpatrick after exploding in his first season with in Pittsburgh. However, his running mate at the safety position, Terrell Edmunds, was starting to feel the heat as a first-round bust.
Flash forward to today, and neither player is with the organization, though for completely different reasons. Fitzpatrick is getting a fresh start back with the team that drafted him. Edmunds is hoping to stick with a roster for the first time in quite a while.
Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds faces uphill battle on Raiders’ roster
News broke on Sunday that Edmunds had signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Pete Carroll’s secondary features Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao, the nephew of Hall of Fame Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. The team also recently signed Jamal Adams, but he’s playing linebacker in the Raiders' defense, not safety.
It remains to be seen if Edmunds will take on a similar role. His coverage abilities were always a weakness in his game, but he averaged 88 tackles per season in his first five years in Pittsburgh. Steelers fans often wondered if a move to linebacker would have been beneficial for the 6-foot-1, 215-pound defensive back.
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Of course, Edmunds spent most of the 2024 season with the Steelers, though he wasn’t on the 53-man roster the entire time. He initially started the season with the Jaguars, but only saw action in one game. He played in five games for the Steelers and totalled a career-low seven tackles.
Edmunds makes the third former Steeler on Carroll’s defense in Las Vegas, joining linebackers Elandon Roberts and Jaylon Smith. Las Vegas has solid depth at linebacker and safety, so whichever path they send Edmunds down, a spot on the 53-man roster will not come by easily.
The Raiders' next preseason game will be against the San Francisco 49ers on August 16, a rivalry game of sorts that Edmunds should be able to suit up for. The Raiders and Steelers are not scheduled to meet in the regular season this year.