Defensive backs: Sebastian Castro, Chuck Clark, Kyle Dugger, Brandin Echols, DeShon Elliott, Donte Kent, Miles Killebrew, Jabrill Peppers, James Pierre, Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Asante Samuel Jr., Cory Trice Jr., Daequan Hardy, Jack Henderson, D'Shawn Jamison, Doneiko Slaughter.
If it's true that players make the Pro Bowl a year after they deserve to, pencil in Joey Porter Jr. for next season.
The Steelers' third-year cornerback continued his streak of not having allowed a touchdown in man-to-man coverage to 1,467 snaps, or more than twice that of any other NFL defender. Porter hasn't allowed a touchdown since Week 8 of his rookie 2023 season.
In zone coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, Porter allowed a passer rating of 48.7, second-best in the NFL. He was third in the NFL in overall passer rating allowed (55.9) and forced incompletions (16), and was sixth in lowest completion percentage allowed (47.8).
Porter led the Steelers with 14 passes defensed, second among the team's defensive backs with 52 tackles. Porter's interception against the Colts with 2:45 remaining sealed an upset win in front of his father and the rest of the 2005 Super Bowl XL champions. And Porter's pass breakup in the end zone against Isaiah Likely with 2:43 remaining preserved a Steelers win over the Ravens that clinched the AFC North Division championship.
Most of Porter's coverage stats occurred against opposing teams' best receiver, and many of his pass breakups occurred on critical third and fourth-down plays.
"It is what it is," said Porter of not making the Pro Bowl Games. "If I really want to make those types of things, I just have to work harder and put some more plays out there."
James Pierre, the end-of-season starter opposite of Porter, also enjoyed the best season of his career.
Pierre was the only undrafted rookie free agent to make the team in 2020, but it had been an up and down ride for most of his six-year career. He was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster in 2025, and installed as a starter in Week 11.
In only five starts, Pierre finished second to Porter with 11 passes defensed. Pierre's 33-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown helped defeat the Bengals, and his interception against the Ravens set up a Steelers touchdown and 17-3 lead in the teams' first meeting.
Pierre, 29, can become an unrestricted free agent next month.
Jalen Ramsey, acquired in a summer trade involving Minkah Fitzpatrick, opened the season as a "jack of all trades" type, but finished as the Steelers' free safety, a new position for the 31-year-old Ramsey.
He obviously adapted well to the career change. Ramsey led the Steelers' defensive backs with 3 sacks, 4 tackles-for-loss, and 88 total tackles. He also had 8 passes defensed in being named to his eighth Pro Bowl after the season.
Brandin Echols, a free agent acquisition last March, played so well as a reserve slot cornerback that he was given the job full-time, allowing the move of Ramsey to free safety full-time.
Echols, 28, played 16 games, made 3 starts and tied with three others for the team lead with 2 interceptions. He added an interception in the playoffs on a third-down, red-zone play in the third quarter of a 7-6 game. Echols also made a third-down interception in the red zone to help beat the Patriots, a win in which Echols sealed with a tackle-for-loss on a fourth-and-2 completion.
The Steelers played without one of their key secondary pieces most of the season when DeShon Elliott suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8.
Elliott, who'll turn 29 in April, had been a communication hub of the Steelers' secondary. His third-down interception of Carson Wentz helped the Steelers defeat the Vikings in Dublin. Elliott finished with 38 tackles with a sack and 3 QB hits.
Chuck Clark stepped in to help replace Elliott, and when Clark was hurt the Steelers traded for Kyle Dugger. Clark returned to play a valuable role in the secondary. He finished with 45 tackles. Dugger, entrenched as the starting strong safety the final 9 games, finished with 42 tackles, a sack and 2 interceptions, one of which he returned 73 yards for a touchdown to blow open a tight game against the Bengals.
Both Clark and Dugger can become unrestricted free agents next month.
Asante Samuel Jr. was another key acquisition in midseason. The 26-year-old former second-round draft pick had missed more than a full year with a shoulder injury, but recovered and was signed to the Steelers' practice squad on Nov. 12. He was elevated to the active roster on Dec. 2, and on Dec. 15 intercepted Tua Tagovailoa to help the Steelers beat the Dolphins.
Samuel can also become an unrestricted free agent next month, along with fellow secondary mates Jabrill Peppers and Miles Killebrew.
Another contributor to the secondary this past season was undrafted rookie safety Sebastian Castro, who was plucked off the practice squad by Tampa Bay but returned and played in nine games, including the playoffs.
Rookie cornerback Donte Kent and third-year cornerback Cory Trice Jr. spent the season on injured reserve.
Cornerback D'Shawn Jamison came off the practice squad for the final month of the season and played 11 snaps on special teams. He was signed to a futures contract in January, along with Daequan Hardy, Jack Henderson, and Doneiko Slaughter.
