STORIESThe Steelers’ reunion with their reliable former first-round selection will be a good choice for Omar Khan when he becomes free agent in 2024.
Talks about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason have mostly centered around the quarterback position. It makes sense considering how crucial a strong signal-caller is in the modern NFL, but general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin still have a lot of work ahead of them in a number of other areas. Although fans have a strong desire to learn about intriguing and surprising events, the Steelers have always placed a strong emphasis on familiarity and loyalty. It’s possible that when free agency becomes available in the middle of March, the idea of those views will be included.
Since their most recent Super Bowl participation, the Steelers haven’t exactly hit home runs with their first-round draft selections. Cameron Heyward, David DeCastro, Ryan Shazier, and TJ Watt are the only players selected in the first round who can be considered successful since the 2011 NFL Draft. Two of those are still active as of the 2024 offseason; the other two have retired, one due to injury and the other to choice.
While opinions on Najee Harris, Kenny Pickett, and Broderick Jones are still forming, one of the more overlooked players of that era was a defensive player who was dependable and healthy most of the time rather than particularly outstanding. In 2023, Terrell Edmunds was a free agent. However, he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2024, Pittsburgh has contracts with Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee. If Patrick Peterson isn’t cut as a cap casualty, the coaching staff may have three choices at safety in addition to Minkah Fitzpatrick. In actuality, Fitzpatrick might only need a familiar face like Edmunds to return to his capricious, ball-hawking tendencies.
For the first time in his career, Fitzpatrick did not record an interception in the 2023 campaign. That might not sound like much, but Fitzpatrick has shown that when he causes turnovers, he can alter the course of a game. Fitzpatrick was a really talented player who excelled when he played in the secondary with Edmunds.
The safety was an All-Pro pick in three of the four seasons Fitzpatrick played with Edmunds from 2019 to 2022, after the Steelers acquired him in a trade in 2019. It’s debatable if that is considered a coincidence, but Fitzpatrick was clearly at his best when he had Edmunds, the former first-round selection.
Despite his injury struggles in 2023, Fitzpatrick managed to start ten games. In two of his first five seasons, he only had fewer than two interceptions, but he finished his sixth professional season without giving up a single crucial turnover. At this stage in his career, Edmunds isn’t going to stay with Pittsburgh for the long haul, but Fitzpatrick in particular would benefit greatly from seeing a familiar face.
Edmunds did not play for the Steelers and was not an All-Pro. Nor was he a first-round selection home run. Having said that, he is still among the more overlooked first-round selections since 2011. He was resilient, knowledgeable about the defense, and never the weak point. If he decides to return in 2024 on a team-friendly contract, it should only be seen as a good thing. In his 79 games with Pittsburgh, he never proved to be a total liability and is familiar with the team.
If the Steelers wanted Edmunds back, do you think he would be a good fit? Tell us in the comments section below!
