Steelers Re-Sign Athletic Safety Jack Henderson to Reserve/Future Deal
The Pittsburgh Steelers are taking a longer look at one of their more intriguing young athletes. On Wednesday, the team announced it has re-signed safety Jack Henderson to a reserve/future contract for the 2026 season - a move that keeps the hyper-athletic defender in the fold as the roster begins to take shape heading into the offseason.
Henderson, who spent time on the Steelers’ practice squad during the 2025 season, briefly returned to free agency after being released by the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 9. Now, he’s back in Pittsburgh, where the team clearly sees enough upside to give him another shot at competing for a role.
This isn’t Henderson’s first stint with the Steelers. He originally joined the practice squad on Oct. 6 but didn’t see game action during his time there. He was let go on Nov. 20, shortly after the team re-claimed rookie safety Sebastian Castro - another young player Pittsburgh has shown interest in developing.
Henderson’s path to this point has been anything but linear. After going undrafted out of Minnesota in 2024, he bounced between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before landing in Pittsburgh. He opened the season on Tampa’s practice squad but was released on Sept. 23 without appearing in a regular-season game.
His most notable on-field action came during the preseason with Carolina, where he suited up for all three games, including a Week 3 matchup against the Steelers. According to Pro Football Focus, Henderson’s snaps were split fairly evenly between playing in the box (22 snaps) and lining up as a deep safety (29 snaps), giving teams a glimpse of his versatility.
What really stands out about Henderson, though, is his athletic profile. At 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, he clocked a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and posted eye-popping numbers in the vertical (39.5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches). Those numbers combined for a 9.37 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of 10 - a metric that underscores just how explosive and physically gifted he is.
Before making the jump to the NFL, Henderson played three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana before transferring to Minnesota in 2023. Despite it being his first year in the Big Ten, he made an immediate impact, starting seven games and leading the Golden Gophers with 59 tackles. He also chipped in five tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, and a pass breakup.
He followed that up in 2024 with a strong senior campaign: 12 starts, six sacks (tied for the team lead), 44 tackles, nine tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception, a pass breakup, and even a blocked kick. He also earned academic All-Big Ten honors - a nod to his work off the field as well.
With this move, the Steelers now have four safeties under contract for 2026: Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Elliott, Sebastian Castro, and Henderson. That list could grow or shrink depending on how free agency shakes out - Chuck Clark, Kyle Dugger, Miles Killebrew, and Jabrill Peppers are all set to hit the open market in March.
For now, Henderson gets another chance to prove he belongs. His athleticism is undeniable.
The question now is whether he can turn those physical tools into consistent production at the NFL level. The Steelers are betting there’s something there worth developing - and with their safety room in flux, Henderson may have a real opportunity to make his mark.