Recently-Released Safety Solves Nothing for Steelers

Oct 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) celebrates after the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Recently-Released Safety Solves Nothing for Steelers

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Nov 6, 2026 9:00 AM ET

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The Pittsburgh Steelers could use some reinforcements in the secondary. The team's defense is off to a thunderous start, surrendering the sixth-fewest yards per game.

The Steelers' strength is clearly their front seven, and it's doing a ton of work to cover up for the group's flaws. But the organization is trying to give quarterback Aaron Rodgers that magical fairy-tale ending to his NFL career, and that calls for upgrades before this year's NFL Trade Deadline.

One possible upgrade they could make doesn't require any trade, however. The Buffalo Bills recently released veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Naturally, the polarizing defender popped up online as a potential fit. One fan, under the X username @jes6979, asked NFL analyst Jon Ledyard about the possibility of him landing in Pittsburgh.

@LedyardNFLDraft any fit for Gardner-Johnson for the Steelers secondary?
— Jesty (@jes6979) November 4, 2026

It's a fair question, given Gardner-Johnson has 93 games of NFL experience and a Super Bowl on his resume. The Steelers need help, but not this kind of help on the active roster. Between the inconsistencies over the past few seasons and his propensity for on-field altercations, the Steelers should avoid bringing him into the organization.

Why Gardner-Johnson Isn't a Fit for Steelers

Let's put the recent incident that led to his suspension aside and just look at his recent play. My eye test concludes that he's a rotational player at best right now. According to data from Pro Football Reference, that seems to be the case.

He's been targeted 21 times in coverage, with quarterbacks completing 13 of those passing attempts for a total of 179 yards and a touchdown. Receivers are averaging 13.8 yards per reception against him, and he combats that with one interception and two passes defended in six contests.

The number that stands out, in the most negative way, is his missed tackles. According to Pro Football Reference, he is credited with six missed tackles and a missed-tackle rate of 18.8%.

The Steelers have struggled in the secondary this season in all of those areas. They are allowing the 17th-most passing yards per game so far this season and have six defenders with a missed-tackle rate of 10% or greater.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nonexistent Special Teams

One other number stands out when evaluating Gardner-Johnson's 2026 campaign: zero. That's how many special teams snaps the 29-year-old has played this season. Dating back to the 2022 campaign, he's played a cumulative 13 special teams snaps.

Gardner-Johnson can still contribute to an NFL defense; I'm not arguing against that. The problem is that he doesn't provide anything that will help the Steelers moving forward. He's not a special teams contributor. He doesn't tackle consistently well, and he gives up big plays.

If the Steelers strictly needed a practice squad player, C.J. Gardner-Johnson would make sense as a player to take a flyer on. To address a direct need, however, the veteran is far from the answer the Steelers are searching for.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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