After Miles Killebrew suffered a devastating injury last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers might be in the market for a safety. It could be time for the front office to locate a safety to bring onto the roster either via trade or through free agent additions. There are some solid free agent options available who could help lessen the woes of the void that Killebrew will leave behind with his special teams' role.
It will be difficult to replace the Steelers' long-time special teams standout, but it's not impossible.
Mike Tomlin holds a lot of respect for Killebrew, and his career in Pittsburgh has been impressive. He is a team captain, and it will be excruciating as they try to replace his leadership qualities. The Steelers have already started to look at replacements for Killebrew, and one free agent stands out.
George Odum worked out for the Steelers leading up to their Thursday Night matchup in Week 7 of the season. According to Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live, Odum was brought to Pittsburgh for a visit with the intention of signing. The visit took place on Tuesday, October 14th. He is a special teams standout and a long-time NFL veteran who could help fill the void left by Killebrew.
Pittsburgh Steelers could sign free agent George Odum to replace Miles Killebrew
After going undrafted during the 2018 NFL Draft, Odum created a terrific career for himself. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts, where he stayed through 2021. The veteran safety eventually joined the San Francisco 49ers, where he played until 2024. The biggest question surrounding the free agent safety is his health. He underwent elbow surgery during the offseason.
Odum should be healthy and ready to play about now, and it couldn't come at a better time for the Steelers. Fans shouldn't expect much from the player, but he can be someone the roster can rely on to help limit the void left behind by Killebrew. Odum is a solid player on special teams, and he has been rewarded with First-team All-Pro and Second-team All-Pro selections during his career.
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While Killebrew has one First-Team All-Pro nod, Odum edges him out with a First-Team and an additional Second-Team selection. The free agent safety is fantastic on special teams, and it has kept him in the NFL since 2018. He should have a solid market if his health checks out, and Pittsburgh would be a great landing spot.
His presence would immediately upgrade their special teams and offer valuable veteran depth at safety.
Through seven seasons of his career, Odum has appeared in 105 NFL games, which is a terrific career for a former undrafted player. He has only started 12 games during that time, but that is seven more than Killebrew has endured. Tomlin might not make fans excited with this addition to Pittsburgh's roster, but the Steelers' special teams group would get a lot of help by signing Odum.