Steelers Lose Safety to AFC North Rival

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have noticeably changed the look of their secondary ahead of the 2026 season. The start of that was letting multiple veteran defensive backs, excluding Asante Samuel Jr., hit free agency, beginning with cornerback James Pierre departing for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Steelers safety position received a makeover as well. They let Chuck Clark walk in favor of signing Jaquan Brisker.

Now, another Steelers free agent is departing for a new franchise. This time, it’s for an AFC North rival. The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to terms on a one-year deal with safety Kyle Dugger, according to an update from Dugger's agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

Former Steelers free-agent safety Kyle Dugger is signing a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/S1psSkF8J9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 2, 2026

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Steelers Lose Out on Depth

The Steelers brought Dugger in right before the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline. The deal cost the organization virtually nothing, as they sent the New England Patriots a sixth-round pick in exchange for Dugger and a seventh-round choice.

After an impressive first two games, Dugger was largely unimpressive in a starting role with DeShon Elliott out for the season. What he does provide, even heading into the 2026 season, is solid depth. The Steelers could use another rotational player to make sure they have enough backup and support behind Elliott and Brisker. Instead, they’ll have to hope that Dugger doesn’t come back to haunt them in their two 2026 matchups.

Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Kyle Dugger (29) enters the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Plan at Safety

The Steelers currently have an unknown plan for rounding out their safety depth this season. The team was working toward a contract with former first-round pick Darnell Savage, but nothing has been finalized up to this point. His agent recently confirmed that Savage intends to sign, but until he puts pen to paper, it’s not for real.

That means the Steelers have just three safeties under contract for the 2026 season. Elliott and Brisker are the starters, and second-year player Sebastian Castro is the third after he signed a reserve/futures contract at the end of last season.

At the very least, the Steelers need one more safety. Maybe that player is Savage. If it’s not, however, the free agent market is thin and filled with veterans. It might mean that the Steelers are targeting a young safety at the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

If that’s the case, there are at least three safeties with first-round grades coming out of the NCAA. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is a top 10 or potentially top-5 pick, while Oregon Ducks superstar Dillon Thienemen and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren also are projected to be top 32 selections. Moving into day two and day three of the draft, players like Treydan Stukes from Arizona, AJ Haulcy from LSU, Zakee Wheatley from Penn State, Bud Clark from TCU and Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina are all names to monitor.

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