Rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings hasn’t had much of a role on defense through two weeks of the 2026 season, but he’s already forcing his way into the conversation in Pittsburgh.
The seventh-round pick has played just one NFL defensive snap so far, yet he’s piled up seven tackles, all on special teams. That number leads the league through the first two games, with no other player sitting above five. For one of the Steelers’ final selections in a 10-man draft class this spring, that’s a pretty loud opening statement.
At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Spears-Jennings came into the NFL with the kind of speed that jumps off the page - he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine - and so far that athleticism has shown up where it matters most for a young player trying to carve out a job. He’s been active, aggressive and consistently around the ball when returners are trying to get loose.
Steelers special teams coach Danny Crossman made it clear Monday that the rookie’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
”I think obviously the scouting department and the coaches did a great job of identifying (Spears-Jennings), and more importantly, he came in with a great mindset,” Crossman said. “He came with the mindset of, whatever his role was going to be, he was going to buy in, and he was going to try to be an exceptional player at whatever we asked him to do.”
Crossman said Spears-Jennings has stood out because he keeps finding ways to stay in the play, even with limited defensive snaps.
“(Spears-Jennings) is finding ways to make plays a lot of ways,” Crossman said. “He’s (at the) point of attack, making plays.
He’s (redirecting), making plays. He’s getting off the ground after he gets knocked off of a tackle and still getting involved in a play.
Really happy with where he is, and hopefully just keep developing him. And we think we got a good player right there.”
Crossman also addressed the special teams work of the Steelers’ final pick in the 2026 draft, running back Eli Heidenreich, who has gotten a look as a returner. He said Heidenreich hasn’t delivered the same “instant gratification and instant results” as Spears-Jennings, but has still done solid work.
“(Heidenreich) did a good job blocking and had an opportunity with the ball in his hand and did a nice job finding the seam and getting it creased,” Crossman said.
Heidenreich had a 26-yard kick return on Sunday against the Patriots.
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