The Steelers got what they needed in Week 1: a win, a 1-0 start, and a first look at a defense that already feels different from last year’s version. The performance against the Atlanta Falcons wasn’t clean, but Pittsburgh didn’t need style points. What stood out most was how quickly Jamel Dean made his presence felt.
Dean arrived as the offseason’s biggest free-agent addition, but there was plenty of skepticism around him. He had been seen so little in training camp and the preseason that some doubts followed him into the opener. One game later, the Steelers have a much clearer idea of why they gave him a three-year deal with a $12 million signing bonus.
His biggest impact came where it often gets overlooked: against the run. Early in the game, Dean came up to stop Bijan Robinson in open space, and that play set the tone for the kind of debut he delivered.
He finished third on the team with five tackles, and three of them came solo. More importantly, he was a major reason Robinson was held under 100 yards on the ground.
Dean showed good pursuit angles and brought real firmness at the point of contact, exactly the kind of edge Pittsburgh wants from its outside corners.
That mattered even more because the Steelers’ secondary is already unsettled. Joey Porter Jr. missed Week 1, and Mike McCarthy hasn’t committed to whether he’ll be available for Week 2. With that kind of uncertainty, Dean’s role becomes even more important.
It also meant Pittsburgh had to adjust on the fly. With Porter unavailable, Patrick Graham leaned into zone coverage and away from man looks. That decision fit the personnel on the field, and it helped the Steelers hold Atlanta to 13 points.
Dean wasn’t tested much as a pass defender, so that part of his game still needs more evidence. But based on his 2025 season and the rest of his career, he’s shown he can handle quality receivers while also helping in the run game.
For one night, though, the headline was simple: Dean looked better than advertised, and the Steelers suddenly have at least one steady piece in a secondary that still has plenty of moving parts.
In Other News...
T.J. Watt Just Reignited A Steelers Debate Fans Never Dropped
T.J. Watt wasted little time reminding everyone why the Steelers pass rush still runs through him. His Week 1 performance drew a 92.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the best mark among 98 EDGE rushers, and it came with two sacks and a pick-six that gave Pittsburgh an early jolt to the season. For a player already at the center of one of the NFLs most familiar defensive debates, it was the kind of opener that puts the conversation right back on the table.
Myles Garrett, meanwhile, is dealing with a very different start to his year. In his Los Angeles Rams debut, he was graded at 64.7 before landing on the reserve/injured list after knee surgery, leaving his status far from the center of the leagues weekly edge-rusher hierarchy. For Steelers fans, the comparison has never really gone away, and Watts opening statement only sharpened the contrast. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have One Obvious Fit In This Steelers Situation
The Steelers entered the season with a familiar tension around a young defensive cornerstone, as Joey Porter Jr. still does not have a contract extension in place. His Week 1 absence because of a back injury only added another layer to the uncertainty, especially for a team that expected him to be part of its long-term plans on the outside.
Now the trade buzz around Porter is starting to follow him, with reports linking both the Chiefs and Lions as teams keeping an eye on his situation. Nothing official has happened, and it is still just speculation at this point, but for Pittsburgh it is the kind of subplot that can linger until the injury clears and the contract question gets addressed. [Read more 🡒]
Former Steelers Are Already Making Pittsburgh's Offseason Look Questionable
Week 1 offered a quick reminder that the Steelers offseason roster churn is being watched closely, especially when familiar faces start producing right away in new uniforms. Jonnu Smith made an impact for Green Bay with two catches for 50 yards, James Pierre picked off a pass in his first game with Minnesota, Isaac Seumalo helped Arizona open with a win, and Chuck Clark turned in a solid showing for Detroit.
For Pittsburgh, those results only add to the early scrutiny around the way the roster was reshaped in free agency. The Steelers moved on from players who found immediate roles elsewhere, and each strong debut makes the decisions behind those departures feel a little more important as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]