Report: Darnell Savage signs with Pittsburgh Steelers

Veteran NFL safety Darnell Savage signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he told KPRC 2 in Houston. This will be Savage’s eighth NFL season and the fifth team of his career.

Savage began his career with the Green Bay Packers in 2019 after the team drafted him with the No. 21 overall pick out of Maryland. He played for Green Bay for five seasons.

Prior to the 2024 season, Savage signed a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he was released after just one season the following September. Later in 2025, he signed with the Washington Commanders, but was released in December upon his own request.

Savage finished up the 2025 season with the Buffalo Bills after they claimed him off waivers. Now, he gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh.

Over the course of his career, Savage has 275 total tackles, one tackle for loss, 41 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown. Savage has one postseason interception (2023), which was a pick-six for Green Bay.

Savage made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2019 and was also named Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2018. At Maryland, Savage had 182 tackles, eight interceptions, one sack and two defensive touchdowns.

Savage joins a Steelers team that won the AFC North last year but fell in the AFC Wild Card playoffs. The offseason was, finally, highlighted by the return of QB Aaron Rodgers for one more season. New head coach Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ coach in Green Bay funny enough, takes over for Mike Tomlin.

Savage will at least have a familiar face in the locker room in Rodgers. The future Hall of Fame QB plans to retire after the 2026 season, regardless of the result.

“I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” Rodgers said. “But when the decision was made to hire Mike (McCarthy), I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”

Rodgers joined the Steelers last year after spending the last three seasons with the New York Jets. In 2025, the four-time NFL MVP led Pittsburgh to a division title while throwing for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns.

“He’s extremely focused and locked in,” Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth said, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “He’s such a competitive player, but he has so much fun playing the game. And that’s what I really enjoy about Aaron.

“He loves playing this game. He plays the game like he’s still 10 years old running around in the backyard. At the same time, he’s got this ferocious competitive spirit that obviously helped push him to the heights that he’s reached.”