In the wake of the blockbuster Dolphins-Steelers trade which sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami, Pittsburgh was seen as a team to watch regarding a safety acquisition. The team has lined up its preferred addition. 
Chuck Clark has agreed to a Steelers deal, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes. Pittsburgh already has DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill in place at the safety spot. Clark – who returned to action last year after an ACL tear cost him the 2023 campaign – will now join them as Pittsburgh’s secondary gets sorted out.
A sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2017, Clark developed from a special teams mainstay into a full-time defensive starter. During each of his final three Baltimore campaigns, he was on the field for every defensive snap. A trade to the Jets did not go according to plan, however, with the ACL tear leaving him sidelined in 2023. Upon returning to full health, Clark did manage 12 games and a full-time starting role in New York.
The Virginia Tech product was charged with a 118 passer rating and two touchdowns allowed in coverage as the nearest defender in 2024. That helps explain why Clark remained on the open market deep into the offseason, but he will now look to use training camp to carve out a regular spot in Pittsburgh’s secondary. He will reunite with Elliott after the two previously played together in Baltimore.
Fitzpatrick drew criticism over the past two years as he playmaking dried up, and he was traded to the Dolphins with two years left on his deal in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. Ramsey is a candidate for a hybrid role with his newest team since the Steelers have returnee Joey Porter Jr. and free agent addition Darius Slay in place at the cornerback spots. If Ramsey sees considerable time at safety, it will impact the Elliott-Thornhill-Clark trio’s workload and rotation.
Today’s move comes shortly after the Saints responded to Tyrann Mathieu‘s retirement by signing Julian Blackmon. With Clark now off the market as well, Justin Simmons remains a name to watch. The two-time Pro Bowler saw his eight-year Broncos run come to an end last offseason and he does not anticipate remaining with the Falcons after he spent 2024 in Atlanta. Pittsburgh represented a logical landing spot in Simmons’ case, but that is no longer feasible given Clark’s signing.
Hmm. I thought that Pittsburgh might have signed a WR if they were going to add another free agent. Not sure if Clark can recapture his early impressive form, but it’d be good for the Steelers if he could. I’m not sure that he’s the free ranging over the top safety that Fitzpatrick was, and with Elliott and Thornhill already there, I don’t see him as a starter anyway. We’ll see what happens.
Lots new faces in Pittsburgh this year-very different for the Steelers. You could mention what feels like a dozen names before even getting to Rodgers.
They arguably needed a safety more than a WR. And I still expect to see a WR signed soon (Gabr Davis would be nice)
Fair enough. You’re more closely connected to Pittsburgh, I’d say, and I’d yield to that. Going to be a lot of learning in practice with all of these new guys-I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers take well into the regular season to start meshing.
The “Hi, My Name Is… “ stickers should help a bit. 😉
I would disagree with that assessment a bit as I think they’re gonna deploy Ramsey as something of a hybrid back there
I loved the DK pick up. But unless they plan on splitting Jonnu a great deal, they are in this odd situation again where DK can be doubled often.
They must have a lot of faith in the kid from Michigan
I expect this is a low dollar deal. They still have money left over to sign another WR. I just cannot see Austin being a #2.