Steelers Re-Sign Third Defensive Player Before Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing back a depth piece along their defensive line.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Pittsburgh has re-signed Esezi Otomewo to a one-year deal.

The Steelers are re-signing DL Esezi Otomewo to a one-year deal, per his agents @LIFTSPORTSMNGMT
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 10, 2026

Otomewo joins cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and linebacker Cole Holcomb as one of three defensive players the Steelers have retained thus far.

The team also inked cornerback Jamel Dean to a three-year deal worth $36.75 million on the first day of the legal tampering period.

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) stiff arms Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Esezi Otomewo (93) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Otomewo's First Year With Steelers

A fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Minnesota by the Minnesota Vikings, Otomewo spent his rookie year with the franchise before later getting cut ahead of the 2023 campaign.

After spending parts of two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2023 to 2024, playing in four contests over that span, Otomewo signed a one-year contract with the Steelers last March.

He went on to make the team's 53-man roster and appeared in a career-high 12 games. During that stretch, during which he logged 173 defensive snaps and 24 special teams reps, Otomewo posted nine tackles for Pittsburgh.

The 27-year-old also played in the Steelers' Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans in the playoffs and came away with two tackles.

Pittsburgh's Interior Defensive Line Depth

The Steelers are currently set to return Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon, though there are some questions about the former's future.

A second-team All-Pro this past season with 3.5 sacks and 78 tackles, Heyward has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $19.150 million.

He "held in" during training camp last summer while looking to rework the two-year, $29 million extension he agreed to before the 2024 season. The Steelers eventually compromised by including a little over $3 million in potential incentives before Week 1.

It's possible that Heyward could once again look to renegotiate his deal, and the threat of retirement still appears to at least be within the realm of possibility, even if that outcome feels unlikely from the outside looking in.

Beyond Heyward, Benton and Harmon, the latter two of whom are potential long-term pieces, Logan Lee and Yahya Black join Otomewo as the Steelers' primary reserve options on the interior of the defensive line for the time being as Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry and Daniel Ekuale hit the open market.

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