The Pittsburgh Steelers are celebrating the addition of their new star cornerback. Jamel Dean was one of FanSided's top-25 free agents in 2026 and was coming off arguably the best year of his career. The best part is that general manager Omar Khan landed him on a discount deal.
After watching the LA Rams not only trade first-, third-, fifth-, and sixth-round picks to land cornerback Trent McDuffie, and then proceeded to turn around and pay him a whopping $31 million per season, $12.25 milion per year for the deal looks (and zero draft capital spend) feels like an absolute steal.
While Dean usually doesn't produce elite ball production (it's just not his game), the veteran cornerback allowed just 311 yards and a 47.7 passer rating allowed in coverage all season last year. As a result, he was a top-five graded cornerback from Pro Football Focus in 2025.
Expectations are high, and that's fair... but there's one number that should have Steelers fans concerned with Dean's ability beyond the 2026 season: his age.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may only get two good years out of free-agent signing Jamel Dean
There's a lot of historical data showing that cornerbacks in their 30s drop off in efficiency, and NFL teams are catching on. Even some of the best cornerbacks we've seen over the past generation or two—like Darrell Revis, Richard Sherman, and Patrick Peterson—proved to be pretty washed up shortly after reaching their 30s.
Dean, meanwhile, is 29 years old. But the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback will turn 30 years old early in the 2026 season. At some positions, such as quarterback, offensive line, and interior defensive line, this is still considered young. But not a cornerback.
Last year, across the entire NFL, there were only 10 cornerbacks age 30 or older who played at least 450 defensive snaps. Of these players, only one (Chidobe Awuzie) graded out as a top-25 CB in the NFL, per PFF.
Meanwhile, others, like Darius Slay (34), Jonathan Jones (32), and Adoree' Jackson (30), proved to be some of the biggest liabilities in the secondary in the entire league in 2025.
There's a reason for this. Speed and quickness are essential as an NFL cornerback.
Dean was a great athlete entering the NFL, with 4.3 speed and a 41-inch vertical. But eventually—like everyone else—he will start to slow down when he reaches his early 30s. Because of this, it's probably reasonable to expect Dean to be an asset to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the next two seasons only.
By the time the 2028 season rolls around, Dean will be 32 years old. Last year, there were only five starting cornerbacks age 31 or older and only one CB (Slay) older than 32.
There's a reason teams weren't lining up to have a bidding war for Jamel Dean in free agency—it's because of his age. The Pittsburgh Steelers got an excellent cornerback (for now), but, unless he defies Father Time, he's bound to slow down drastically over the next few seasons.