Steelers Biggest Deadline Failure Will Haunt Super Bowl Hopes

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to properly address one of their biggest positions of need before the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline passed. Even with the addition of veteran safety Kyle Dugger, the team’s secondary and pass defense is still vulnerable and easy to exploit.

The inability to fix this issue is a massive failure on the Steelers’ part and it will come back to haunt the team’s playoffs and Super Bowl hopes.

Secondary Woes

The Steelers’ secondary has been torn apart this season by injuries and poor performance. Starting safety and communication hub DeShon Elliott is out long-term with a lower-body injury, meaning Jalen Ramsey will continue seeing time at the free safety position.

Ramsey looks like a natural fit at safety, but the problem is that takes away a top option at cornerback. Sure, Ramsey can still play as the nickelback in certain defensive packages, but his main responsibilities shift to the back of the defense at safety.

Without him as a go-to option, the Steelers have Joey Porter Jr. and Brandin Echols as their new top two cornerbacks. Both come with promise and talent, but they also each come with concerns that opposing offenses are already discovering.

Porter Jr. is a long and physical corner, but he’s prone to holding penalties. His ability to match up one-on-one is the best among Steelers corners, but he’s also a liability when facing the most skilled wide receivers who can match his hand fighting and physicality with their own technique and execution.

Echols is an intriguing option, who has risen up the depth chart as the season goes on. He works best in the slot, and the Steelers know that. He played a season-high 45 snaps in the slot against the Indianapolis Colts, and he will likely remain as their go to slot corner moving forward.