The Steelers enter the offseason with a notable list of free agents who started quite a few games for this team in 2024. A name that is flying under the radar is Donte Jackson. Acquired in the Diontae Johnson trade, Jackson went on to start 15 games last season and lead the team in interceptions with a career-best five.
While his stats look great, his tape tells a slightly different story. His coverage seemed to tail off at the end of the season, and because of this a large majority of the fans have seemingly pushed him aside and want a different starter there for the 2025 season.
That would be a massive mistake on the Steelers part if they parted ways with him.
While Jackson wasn’t an elite lockdown cornerback and he is older, this team isn’t counting on him to be their top option in coverage. Joey Porter is supposed to be the true top guy, and while he didn’t take those steps this year, there is still time for him to come around. In the meantime, Jackson is a great running mate.
The Steelers need to keep Donte Jackson a little longer
The cornerback room for the Steelers is in a unique spot right now. They have Cory Trice in a weird state of limbo. Everyone was high on him as a seventh-round pick, and he flashed some positive growth last year. That said, you can’t rely on him being penciled in as the starter, as he still needs to earn that role.
If you don’t bring back Jackson, you almost certainly have to sign a different veteran in free agency. There are some interesting names, but the top options on the market are also older and lack the elite level of play you would want. Given what their cost would be, you would be closing the door on Trice being anything more than depth.
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The lone exception to that rule is Byron Murphy from the Vikings. He could be brought in to start on the outside and kick inside to the slot when three corners are needed. That would provide Trice with an instant role to learn and grow as an outside cornerback. That said, Murphy won’t be cheap, and he will likely be one of the highest-paid cornerbacks after free agency.
Assuming the Steelers won’t play ball with him (as they have historically not done massive deals like that), Jackson remains your best bet. Even if you went with a cornerback in the first round of the draft, you can’t bank on that guy being an everydown starter. This team needs a viable veteran.
In terms of price, Jackson won’t break the bank. $6 million a year seems fair, and even if it is slightly more than that on a two-year deal, you can afford it this year and cut him next year if he is no longer needed.
In the meantime, he gives you a solid second option at cornerback, allows you to move forward with Trice if he earns the job, or even draft and develop a viable second cornerback this year. Unless you want to make an aggressive free agent move in Murphy that keeps the door open for Trice to play, Jackson is a perfect reunion target for this offseason.