It's been a week of reunion for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After Cameron Johnston suffered a season-ending injury, the front office signed punter Corliss Waitman to fill the void. Waitman spent time with the Steelers in 2021. Now Pittsburgh is bringing back another familiar face.
On September 9, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Terrell Edmunds is returning to the Steelers. Edmunds, a first-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2018 NFL Draft, spent the 2023 season with the Eagles and the Titans.
Reunion: The #Steelers are signing safety Terrell Edmunds off the #Jaguars practice squad, per sources. pic.twitter.com/DMkmk0WYTE
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 9, 2024
This summer, Edmunds found himself fighting for a roster spot on the Jaguars. He was ultimately released at the NFL's cutdown deadline and later signed to Jacksonville's practice squad.
Now the Steelers have decided to poach the veteran safety to add more depth and experience to their secondary.
Steelers aren't getting yesterday's Terrell Edmunds
Edmunds is entering his seventh NFL season, but this time, his debut on the Pittsburgh Steelers will look very different than it did in 2018.
When he was a fresh first-round pick, Mike Tomlin and former general manager Kevin Cobert gave the athletic safety every opportunity to succeed. While Edmunds wasn't on the same 'bust' level as colossal disappointments like Jarvis Jones, Artie Burns, or Devin Bush, Pittsburgh certainly didn't get their value's worth out of their first-round pick the first time around.
This time, expectations will be much lower... and they should be.
Edmunds will need to humble himself as he takes a backseat to DeShon Elliott. The former first-rounder is no longer Minkah Fitzpatrick's counterpart at the safety position. Not only that, but Edmunds will still be behind backup Damontae Kazee in the pecking order.
It will be interesting to see what type of role Edmunds ends up playing for the Steelers. At this stage of his career, it's possible that he's used as just a box safety or maybe even a sub-packing linebacker. The Virginia Tech product has never been one to take the ball away consistently -- earning just six interceptions in 79 starts (96 games).
The good news is that Edmunds is still only 27 years old and has been blessed with remarkable health throughout his NFL career. If nothing else, his presence will add stability and security to Pittsburgh's secondary.
This is a low-risk signing with a potentially high payout if an injury occurs in the secondary and Edmunds is forced into a bigger role.