Steelers Were Likely Never In On CB Jaire Alexander: 'I Didn’t Hear Anything'

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves with multiple key upgrades on the defensive side of the ball entering the 2025 season. While the main story throughout the offseason has been centered around Pittsburgh's quarterback room and Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers have made significant moves at key defensive positions through both the NFL Draft, and free agency. Pittsburgh faced criticism at multiple crucial positions throughout the second half of last season, as the Steelers remain hopeful that their newest additions will shine throughout 2025.

While many new players will play a key role on the Steelers' defense, no newcomer is expected to have a bigger impact than Derrick Harmon. Harmon, a first-round pick out of Oregon, is an elite defensive tackle who was widely regarded as one of the best defensive prospects available. Harmon was a star at the college level, and should have no problem thriving on the same defensive line as TJ Watt and Cam Heyward.

Despite multiple upgrades being made throughout the offseason, Pittsburgh finds themselves still lacking depth in the secondary. While many big names remain available on the free agency market, rumors centered around the Steelers and new Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander ran rampant throughout social media. Alexander, who signed a one-year deal with Baltimore last week, is an experienced All-Pro defender and was widely expected to be a top target for Pittsburgh to pursue.

While fans continue to question the Steelers' aggression in the pursuit of Alexander, team insider Mark Kaboly took a moment to share his thoughts on the situation.

"I didn't hear anything about it, which is weird," Kaboly stated. I'm not confident [with the team's current secondary]. Absolutely not. I think there's potential, but this labeled as confident, that's probably more than offensive line, more than quarterback, is the one you got to really, really look at."

 

Kaboly continued to speak about the current depth throughout the Steelers' secondary.

"They can go south in a hurry," Kaboly explained. "[Cory] Trice has all the ability, but he just hasn't done it. [Darius] Slay is 34, and once you start losing some speed, you might as well hang it up."

Alexander, who signed his deal worth up to $6 million with Baltimore, is a 2x Pro Bowler, but has been plagued by injuries throughout the past few seasons. He thrived during his early years in Green Bay with the Packers, but ultimately has lost a number of games throughout the course of his seven-year career due to injury. 

The 2x Second Team All-Pro would have likely been a major addition to the Steelers' secondary, as Alexander was widely expected to take a shorter, cheaper "prove it" style deal. He appeared in just seven games last year, as injuries continued to play a major factor in his ability to stay on the field. With Alexander officially off the table now, the Steelers are still expected to add some additional depth heading into training camp.

Steelers Expecting TJ Watt's Contract Dispute To Be Sorted Out Soon

Newcomer, or tenured Steeler, no individual player is more vital to the team than superstar linebacker TJ Watt. Watt, who is currently entering the final year of a four-year deal, is widely considered to be one of the best players in the entire NFL and will require a major payday should Pittsburgh opt to re-sign him. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Watt has proven to be worth every penny and should shine throughout the final year of his contract.

As Steelers fans continue to voice their frustration over Watt still in limbo about a new deal, the team is expecting to reach an agreement with the superstar sooner rather than later. Watt, who was absent throughout the entire course of minicamp, is expected to be at training camp, but his involvement while being there is still in question.