The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to address their safety depth after trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins. The team brought in former Cleveland Brown Juan Thornhill to compete for the free safety position alongside DeShon Elliott. However, Thornhill is coming off a rough 2024 campaign, during which he struggled in coverage, was criticized for his effort, and saw his role diminish later in the year.
Because of this, the Steelers could add a veteran in free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be in play for a veteran formerly of a bitter rival
After spending his first six years with the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets acquired Chuck Clark in March 2023. Unfortunately, the safety missed the entire 2023 season with an ACL tear sustained during OTAs, but the team brought him back for another year. Clark recorded 69 tackles, one TFL, one sack, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble in 12 games, having missed Weeks 7-10 with a high-ankle sprain and Week 17 due to a torn pectoral.
He has primarily played at strong safety but has some experience at free safety.
Pittsburgh Steelers land 75-game starter for much-needed depth
According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, the Steelers have signed Chuck Clark to a contract. As a result, he will compete against Juan Thornhill for the starting free safety position this summer. Finally, Clark has a chance to redeem himself after back-to-back injury-riddled seasons and prove his worth as a starting safety in this league.
Steelers have signed safety Chuck Clark, who was a consistent starter for the Ravens since 2019 other than 2023 when he tore his ACL and missed the season.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 25, 2025
Here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety depth
- DeShon Elliott
- Juan Thornhill
- Chuck Clark
- Miles Killebrew
- Sebastian Castro
- Quindell Johnson
