Former Auburn DB, SEC West Champion Signs New Deal With Steelers

One of the Auburn Tigers’ best defensive backs in recent history has signed a deal with a new NFL organization.

Former Auburn cornerback Jamel Dean has inked a new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport last week. Pittsburgh signed him to a three-year, $36.75 million deal.

Dean has emerged as one of the most elite corners in all of football, as 2025 served as a true breakout season for the former Tiger. He is ranked among the top 10 in many “top cornerbacks in the NFL” lists from various outlets, and the trade is certainly exciting to Steelers fans, considering they are attaining one of the league’s best.

Dean spent four total years on the Plains, but he only saw action in two seasons. He redshirted in 2015 before suffering a season-ending injury in fall camp directly before the 2016 campaign, in which he was a projected starter.

However, he definitely made his impact known in the following years, as Dean played a key role in Auburn’s defense during the Tigers’ run to the SEC Championship game in 2017. He recorded 43 total tackles in the mix as a starter at corner, and in 2018, Dean posted 30 tackles and 11 pass breakups in his final season in the orange and blue.

Dean was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay, where he spent seven years with the Buccaneers. Dean was a part of the 2021 Buccaneers squad that won Super Bowl LV, a game in which Tampa Bay’s defense only allowed nine points to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Dean spoke to the Pittsburgh media after his arrival, and despite already owning a Super Bowl ring, he’s not finished just yet.

"Now you know, for the most part, it was basically just the culture that has been built here over the course of the years," Dean said last Friday. "I understand, like, here basically all we do is win. I am at the point of my career now where I am trying to chase another Super Bowl, and I feel like with the personnel we have here and our coaching staff, it is definitely possible we can get that done."

Dean adds great depth to a Pittsburgh defensive backfield that is ultimately led by new head coach Mike McCarthy. He undoubtedly brings great excitement to the Steelers’ fan base, as his experience and versatility will bode well in the Steel City.