The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pivotal offseason on the horizon, as general manager Omar Khan will look to bolster a roster that lost four straight games to end the 2024 regular season and were embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Though Pittsburgh has a ton of positions that lack high-end talent, safety isn’t one of them. Minkah Fitzpatrick has been one of the better defensive players in football over the last few seasons, and his running mate in the backend, DeShon Elliott, also had a solid 2024 campaign.
Safety isn’t a pressing issue for the Steelers, but CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani predicts Pittsburgh will sign San Francisco 49ers defensive back Talanoa Hufanga in 2025 free agency.
“Hufanga was named an All-Pro in 2022 after recording four interceptions, nine passes defensed and two sacks to go along with 97 combined tackles, but unfortunately tore his ACL late in the 2023 season,” Dajani wrote.
“Can you imagine what Pittsburgh’s defense could be capable of with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Hufanga roaming the secondary?”
As Dajani stated, Hufanga had a tremendous 2022 campaign and was one of the best safeties in football that year. The 25-year-old has dealt with a plethora of injuries over the last two seasons, which has limited him to just 17 total games since 2023.
Though Hufanga has been held back by injuries lately, the 2021 fifth-round pick still has a ton of talent and versatility. Hufanga has experience playing as a box safety and free safety and has also played a bunch of snaps in the slot throughout his career.
Spotrac projects Hufanga will land a three-year deal worth $35.7 million on the open market, while Pro Football Focus believes the safety will receive a two-year deal worth $25 million with $16 million guaranteed.
The Steelers are set to have around $40 million in cap space this offseason, per Over the Cap, and though Hufanga is an impact player when healthy, Pittsburgh has much more significant needs than safety and should use their limited cap room to improve other positions on the roster.
Fitzpatrick and Elliott are both under contract for next season and played well together in 2024. Safety is not a weakness for Pittsburgh, so signing Hufanga to a starting-level contract would be a foolish move by Omar Khan.
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