3 Steelers who shouldn't be back next year (but probably will be)

3. Damontae Kazee, S

The Steelers made an executive decision to roll with Damontae Kazee as the safety alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2023 as they chose not to re-sign Terrell Edmunds (who wound up with the Eagles on a one-year, $1.29 million deal). This proved to be a mistake.

Edmunds certainly wasn't anything special in 2023. He was ultimately included in a trade package before the deadline that sent him to Tennessee. However, there's no question that he would have been better than the alternative this year.

Pittsburgh had high hopes for Kazee after a strong finish to the 2022 season, but he proved to be rather unspectacular in a larger role next to Fitzpatrick. Though he did reel in a pair of interceptions, Kazee graded out poorly both in run defense and in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the season as the 71st-ranked safety among 95 qualifying players.

Now Damontae Kazee will turn 31 years old ahead of the Steelers' 2024 training camp, and though his cap number of $3.875 million is manageable for a starting safety, the Pittsburgh Steelers should be looking for an upgrade. Their recent experiments with aging players in the secondary have not been paying off. The same can be said for fellow safety Keanu Neal (who spent half of the season on IR).

All contract numbers and details courtesy of Over the Cap.