Roob's Observations: How good can Saquon be at an age when most RBs are fading?

Roob's Observations: How good can Saquon be at an age when most RBs are fading? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Maybe I’m the only one who finds it interesting that 100 years ago was the first time a Philadelphia team won an NFL championship.

That was the 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets, who went 14-1-2 under Hall of Fame coach Guy Chamberlain, winning the NFL title by virtue of the best regular-season record before the inception of the NFL Championship Game seven years later.

Those 1926 Yellow Jackets allowed only 51 points all year, shutting out 10 opponents (2nd-most in NFL history) and losing only to the Providence Steam Roller, 7-6, in Week 7 at Frankford Stadium at Frankford and Devereaux. (And, yes, there was no “S” at the end of “Steam Roller,” and IMHO “Providence Steam Roller” is a much better name than “Providence Steam Rollers.”

This year’s Eagles defense should be terrific, but allowing 3.0 points per game may be even out of reach even for Vic Fangio’s bunch.

With just a week to go before opening day, here’s our latest collection of random Eagles observations.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SAQUON: Saquon Barkley had a terrific training camp and it sure looks like he’s primed for a big bounce-back year in Sean Mannion’s offense after an up-and-down 2025 in a miserable offense behind a banged-up offensive line. But he’s also 29, and that’s an age where running backs historically are going downhill. In the last 20 years, only four running backs have rushed for 1,300 yards after turning 29 – Thomas Jones twice with the Jets, Michael Turner with the Falcons, Adrian Peterson once and Derrick Henry twice. Now, Barkley takes such good care of himself and looked so locked in during camp and seems like such a natural fit in this scheme, I don’t see any reason he can’t rush for 1,500 yards if he plays all 17 games. Only nine backs have ever rushed for 1,500 yards after turning 29, only Henry in the last 20 years. But I don’t care what the history is or what the numbers say. I’ll be surprised if Saquon isn’t in that ballpark by the time we get to January. He’s still that good.

ELITE COMPANY: Nick Sirianni is one of only seven head coaches in NFL history to reach two Super Bowls before turning 44. The others are Hall of Famers Joe Gibbs, Dan Reeves, Chuck Noll and Don Shula, plus Mike Tomlin and Sean McVay. Pretty good company.

HOW GOOD IS JALYX HUNT? If you’re an Eagle Eye podcast listener you’re probably tired of Dave Zangaro and I babbling incessantly about what a dominating training camp Jalyx Hunt had. He was the Eagles’ best player this summer, and his performance in the joint practices in Foxborough only cemented that. At times during training camp he was just unstoppable, and that’s working against a couple pretty decent offensive tackles. Believe it or not, no Eagles draft pick has had 12 sacks in a season for the Eagles since Trent Cole had 12 ½ in 2009. That was 17 years ago. And he’s the only Eagles draft pick to reach 12 sacks in a season as an Eagle since Clyde Simmons in 1992. Josh Sweat had 12 last year for the Cards, but the only Eagles draft picks with 12 sacks in a season as Eagles are Dennis Harrison in 1984, Simmons in 1989 and 1992 and Cole. That’s it. Reggie White had seven seasons with 12 or more sacks as an Eagle (and three as a Packer), but he was a supplemental pick who had already played for the USFL Memphis Showboats, so he’s not considered homegrown or a draft pick. In any case, I fully expect Hunt to join that exclusive group of Eagles draft picks with 12 sacks in a season. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s closer to 15. He’s so fast, strong and physical, I don’t know how you stop him. And this is a guy who’s still relatively new to the position. He went from playing 15 snaps per game as a rookie with 1 ½ sacks to 41 snaps per game and 6 ½ sacks last year. With such a loaded defensive line – Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Nolan Smith and Jonathan Greenard in addition to Hunt – teams are not going to be able to block everyone, and I expect Hunt to be a big beneficiary of playing on such a deep d-line.

RICKY’S THE ONLY ONE: It’s wild to me that with all the great running backs the Eagles have had – Steve Van Buren, Wilbert Montgomery, Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy – the only one who’s had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons is Ricky Watters. Ricky ran for 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons with the Eagles, from 1995 through 1997. Wilbert had three 1,000-yard seasons from 1978 through 1981 but missed four games in 1980 and came up short. Shady had four 1,000-yard seasons in five years but missed four games in 2012 and also came up short. Westbrook had two in a row in 2006 and 2007 but finished 64 yards shy of a third in 2008. Duce had two in a row in 1998 and 1999 but then had the foot injury in 2000 and only played in five games. So Saquon Barkley has a chance this year to become only the second Eagle with three straight 1,000-yard seasons. Ricky averaged 3.8, 4.0 and 3.9 in his three 1,000-yard seasons, so Saquon is likely to become the first Eagle ever with three straight 1,000-yard seasons and a rushing average over 4.0 yards per carry. For a franchise that’s been around since 1933, that’s remarkable.

TANNER OR ANDY? I really don’t know what the thinking is on backup quarterback. Neither Tanner McKee nor Andy Dalton had a particularly good summer. Each was effective in one preseason game, Tanner in New England, Dalton vs. the Bengals. Each had some good days at practice and some bad days. Neither one really put together a string of a bunch of good days in a row. Tanner may have nudged ahead of Dalton over the last couple weeks, but the competition is close, and it wouldn’t be shocking if Nick Sirianni and Sean Mannion decide to go with Dalton as No. 2 because of his experience. We may have over-rated McKee based on his performances vs. the Cowboys and Giants at the end of the 2024 season, but I’d still feel more comfortable with McKee as No. 2 than the 38-year-old Dalton. The fact that Howie Roseman hasn’t been able to trade either of them tells you what the rest of the league thinks of McKee and Dalton. There’s really no reason to carry both of them on the 53. I would have preferred to keep Chance Campbell, Carson Strong or Cam Latu. Someone who might help immediately on special teams and add valuable depth. As for Cole Payton, I don’t even look at him as a fourth quarterback. There is no way he’s going to play QB this year. I think he made the roster as an “athlete” as well as a developmental kid. If we see him, it’ll be running around on special teams or maybe with a trick play or two. Talented kid who has some ability, he’s just not close to being ready to play quarterback.

DUUUUUCCEEEEEEE: It’s fun to look back at the greatest opening-day performance in Eagles history, Duce Staley’s career game vs. the Cowboys in the 2000 opener at Texas Stadium, the Pickle Juice Game. In record-setting heat 26 years ago, Duce ran for 201 yards and caught four passes for 61 yards for 262 scrimmage yards, the 2nd-most in NFL history on opening day behind Thurman Thomas’s 268 yards for the Bills in the 1991 opener against the Dolphins in Orchard Park. That remains the 2nd-most scrimmage yards in Eagles history, behind only Saquon Barkley’s ridiculous 302 yards – 255 rushing, 47 receiving – in the 2024 regular-season win over the Rams in Inglewood, Calif.

JALEN HURTS STAT OF THE WEEK: Jalen Hurts has completed 47 passes of at at least 40 yards since he became the Eagles’ full-time starting quarterback in 2021. Only three QBs have thrown more 40-yard passes during the same span – Josh Allen (54), Patrick Mahomes (52) and Matt Stafford (51). Donovan McNabb had 54 in his first five full seasons as a starter (2000-2004), Randall Cunningham had 50 (1987-1990, 1992) and Carson Wentz had 34, although he didn’t finish his fifth year as a starter. Also interesting to me: From 2001 through 2004, only three WRs had more 40-yard catches than Todd Pinkston’s 19. Randy Moss and T.O. had 25 each and Amani Toomer had 20.

IT’S BEEN 18 YEARS: With Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen and Lane Johnson all set to start on opening day for a second straight year, this is the first time in 18 years the Eagles will start the same o-line two years in a row. In both 2007 and 2008 the starters were Tra Thomas, Todd Herremans, Jamaal Jackson, Shawn Andrews and Jon Runyan.

ANSWERING THE BELL: One thing I don’t think Jalen Hurts gets enough credit for is his durability and toughness. He’s started 78 regular-season games since opening day 2021, and only Josh Allen (84), Jared Goff (82), Justin Herbert (80) and Patrick Mahomes (80) have started more. So he’s missed only seven games since becoming the Eagles’ full-time starter, but two of those were healthy scratches in meaningless games on the final day of the 2021 and 2025 seasons. Hurts missed the Jets game in 2021 with a sprained ankle, he missed the Cowboys and Saints in 2022 with a shoulder injury and he missed the Cowboys and Giants in 2024 with a concussion. Hurts’ 78 starts from 2021 through 2025 ties the most in any five-year span by an Eagles quarterback. Ron Jaworski started 78 in a five-year span from 1977 through 1981, although he only missed two games during those 16-game seasons. Either way, you don’t average 15 ½ starts per season over five years if you’re not physically tough.

NOBODY’S BETTER ON OPENING DAY: The Eagles’ five-game opening-day winning streak is the 2nd-longest in franchise history behind a six-game winning streak from 1942 through 1947. The Eagles’ last opening-day loss was 27-17 in Washington in 2020, the late Dwayne Haskins out-playing Carson Wentz in his fifth and final opening-day start as an Eagle. The Eagles are 13-2 in openers since 2011, and the 49ers are 2nd-best during that span at 11-4. The Eagles have won six consecutive openers at home since a 27-20 loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at the Linc in 2010 after backup Michael Vick replaced injured Kevin Kolb. The Eagles are the only team that hasn’t lost at home on opening day since 2011. The Eagles and Bucs are the only teams that are undefeated on opening day since 2021. The Bucs have actually won six straight openers dating back to a 34-23 loss in New Orleans in 2020. Now you know.

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YouTube Gold: A Nearly Complete Video Of Blocked Skyhooks

(Original Caption) 10/31/1985-Phoenix, AZ- Los Angeles Lakers' center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, goes up for a skyhook shot with the Phoenix Suns', James Edwards(right), in 1st period action.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the greatest weapon in the history of basketball: the Skyhook.

When he was young and springy, it was an evolving weapon, but he could really get off the ground. In his prime, it was extremely difficult to deal with, and as an old man, in basketball terms anyway, it was perfected, launched with great efficiency, and very hard to stop.

Yet it did get stopped at times.

We spent a little time looking into it not too long ago and found a handful of guys who blocked it, but the list kept expanding.

And now, someone has put together perhaps the best, most complete list of players who blocked it. It includes Wilt Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond, Bill Willoughby (though his was ruled goaltending), Bill Walton, Ralph Sampson, Robert Parish, and Hakeem Olajuwon.

That may sound like a lot of guys did it, but the man played for 20 years and had it blocked far less than once a year (on average).

Apparently, Julius Erving got one too, but we can’t find the video.

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Cordell Volson could cost Cincinnati a Compensatory Pick: Bengals News & Discussion (9/5)

Sep 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is sacked by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the third quarter of a Week 1 NFL football game at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cara Owsley-USA TODAY Sports

The waiting is almost over. After months of roster moves, training camp storylines, preseason performances and endless debates about whether the Bengals finally did enough to fix their defense, Cincinnati is just days away from finding out what it all looks like when the games actually count.

Joe Burrow is back, the offense still has one of the NFL’s most dangerous collections of weapons, and a defense headlined by new additions like Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen has generated a level of optimism we haven’t seen around this team in quite some time.

But as always with the Bengals, there are still plenty of questions to answer. Can the revamped defense actually become the complementary unit this offense has needed? Will the offensive line’s continuity finally pay dividends? And can Cincinnati keep its biggest stars healthy as the season gets underway?

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have dealt with minor injuries leading into Week 1, though both are expected to be ready for the opener. With the Buccaneers looming and the regular season finally here, it’s time to empty the notebook and take a look at the latest Bengals news, rumors, roster developments and some of the biggest stories happening around the NFL.

Bengals News

Former Bengals starter’s rough week may also put Cincinnati’s 2027 NFL Draft plans in flux

The Cincinnati Bengals let former starting left guard Cordell Volson leave in free agency all the way back in March.

Miami University’s Cradle of Coaches Grows Up On The Screen

In King Library’s stately hush of academia tucked among the bricks of Miami University, Jacqueline Johnson is showing us the game plan Paul Brown drew up for the Bengals’ first foray into pro football.

DJ Turner II speaks about contract situation with Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II simply isn’t thinking letting his contract situation become a distraction after an extension didn’t come to fruition during the offseason and training camp.

Trikweze Bridges is the most underrated addition to Bengals’ practice squad

The Cincinnati Bengals recently revealed their full 16-member practice squad, and one of the names stood out above the rest.

Joe Burrow Breaks Down Processing Plays; Details Ability to Read Defense

A look into Burrow’s super computer brain

Shemar Stewart’s comeback aided by new-look Bengals veteran roster

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart remains on the injury comeback trail.

NFL News

What is the Jaguars’ plan for Travis Hunter in Year 2? Plus, my ranking of the NFL’s top 5 cornerbacks

Travis Hunter’s highly anticipated rookie campaign came to an abrupt conclusion when the No. 2 overall pick suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice in October.

LSU blinks, for now, on the issue of putting former NFL players on the roster

Discretion is the better part of valor. Or something.

Five reasons the explosive NFL passing game has plummeted over the past decade and will it ever return?

Gone are the bloated passing numbers and quarterbacks who let it fly, so what’s changed?

2026 NFL season X factors: Key players for all 32 teams

The NFL season is but five days away — we’ve almost made it!

NFL Super Bowl Futures Report: Bettors Not Sold On Seahawks, Patriots

As the NFL season arrives, the Rams are atop Super Bowl futures odds.

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49ers News: Swoop on those Rams like an angry magpie

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 16: (AUSTRALIA OUT) A magpie swoops a cyclist along Lambton Road, New Lambton, in Newcastle. (Photo by Darren Pateman/Fairfax Media via Getty Images/Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images). | Fairfax Media via Getty Images

How the 49ers, NFL made ‘seamless’ travel plan to Australia
“As the 49ers and the NFL collaborated over the past four months to move their football operation nearly 8,000 miles from the Bay Area to Melbourne, a unique challenge emerged of ensuring no California soil hitched a ride into one of the most isolated, ecologically guarded nations on the planet. Australia enforces some of the strictest biosecurity measures in the world. Introducing any sort of invasive species, insects or plant disease could lead to ecological and/or economic disaster, per the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. And while the cleaning process didn’t need to be over the top — the goal was to eliminate any large clumps of dirt or grass — it added a layer of consideration as the Niners prepared for departure….In this unchartered operational territory, some of the obstacles that 49ers and NFL officials pointed to include visa and passport acquisition; finding a plane big enough to carry the team comfortably; figuring out how to get through customs and security at the Melbourne airport; ensuring the practice facilities, hotel and stadiums were properly set up for an NFL team; and then how to break it all down and get back to California.

The preparation started back in March, Valentine said, when the NFL asked the Rams and 49ers to send any items they would want but didn’t immediately need for Week 1 to a cargo ship in New York. That cargo ship also carried an additional 60,000 pounds of equipment from the league, including goal posts, Gatorade products and coolers, field equipment (chains, pylons, etc.), practice site equipment and medical gear.

The ship departed on April 15 and arrived a little more than two weeks ago. And lest anyone believe Australia didn’t take its biosecurity efforts seriously, customs agents denied San Francisco’s supply of protein powder from entering the country.”

Will Nick Bosa, George Kittle have Week 1 pitch counts? 49ers mailbag (paywall)
“Yes. Somehow Samuel, one of the most recognizable names in the sport, has flown under the radar this summer. Unlike most of his receiver and running back teammates, he didn’t miss any practices after signing with the team. And he’s looked good when he’s been out there.

I’m not saying he’s back to looking like 2021-season Deebo. But 2023-season Deebo seems reasonable. The 49ers also have not been shy about giving him carries and talking about using him as a running back. So not only is Deebo back — wideback is back….I expect we’ll be talking about pass rush/defensive ends as the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaches. The 49ers will have a lot more five-man fronts and call more blitzes than in previous years. So their pass-rush and sack numbers might look good at a glance. But will it be anything more than a clever comb-over to disguise a bald spot? Keep an eye on points allowed per game, which last year was a respectable 21.8 despite all the missing players and lowly sack numbers.”

Why 49ers rookie De’Zhaun Stribling refuses to see himself as a star: ‘I’m just a man’ (paywall)
“When he came in, he was very businesslike,” said George McDonald, the Ole Miss wide receiver coach at the time. “He knew what he wanted to accomplish.”

Aisha realized he was all grown up by then, a far cry from the 5-foot-nothing high school freshman who loved to surf and play kendama, a Japanese skill toy that was all the rage at Hawaii recesses during the mid-2010s. Stribling curbed the surfing habit for obvious reasons. He still owns a few kendamas…

…Some players like the attention success brings. Stribling, his mom attested, would rather avoid it. He never wanted to be a role model or leader in the “rah-rah” mold. If his example was worth following, then fine. 

“He doesn’t want to have to mouthpiece it to say, ‘This is who I am,’” Aisha said. 

An athlete’s why can be revealing. Aisha never asked him what his was. “I always just assumed,” she said. “I don’t like the assumption I have. I just assumed it was that he wants to make his family proud.” What’s wrong with that? “I always tell him I’m proud of him,” she answered. “I’m proud of you. ‘Haven’t done anything yet.’ I’m proud of you. ‘Haven’t done anything yet.’”

There’s a Hawaiian pidgin term for a person of Portuguese descent: podagee. Locally, it’s often an endearing way of identifying someone who talks a lot. Stribling seems more soft-spoken, unless he is with those who know him well enough to know he is a podagee, too.”

How wife Jenna, life at home make 49ers star Brock Purdy a better quarterback
“It allows me to be a better quarterback and everything because I understand, I am loved,” Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I have an amazing wife, an amazing daughter, and a second baby on the way, and everything is OK.

“And now I get to go and play free and play hard for them, and it’s been better.”

The Purdys, who make their offseason home in the Nashville area, still prioritize going for walks and grocery shopping as a family.

“We love and crave those things,” Purdy said.”

49ers release first official depth chart
“During the preseason, Collins played like a player who is still nursing an injury. He wasn’t forceful. He didn’t initiate things. He was too reactionary, and he often leaned on the player blocking him instead of trying to dictate the action or disengage. That’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Because Gracen Halton was supposed to be the pass rush specialist. If he’s not going to play right away after missing all of this time, then it puts more pressure on the rest of the defensive line — or Keion White when he kicks inside — to produce.

The defensive line rotation is anyone’s guess if Sam Okuayinonu is out or if Romello Height can’t play.

Malik Mustapha returning to practice is a great sign. He’s the player with the highest ceiling, perhaps in the entire secondary.”

BONUS: Magpie swooping: Inside the Australian bird’s annual reign of terror
“Streets and parks become a battleground, as the birds – descending from above and attacking from behind – swoop down on anything they fear poses a threat to their offspring.

High up in their nests, they rule over their kingdom with an iron claw, while on the ground, humans dust off their protective hats – traditionally a plastic ice-cream container – and duck for cover.

At times drawing blood, their ambushes can cause serious injuries, and in a handful of cases, death.

…But they also say magpies can interpret simple gestures like running through their territory as a slight, and not only can they recognise individual faces – they tend to hold a grudge.

“Let’s say you’ve shown some kind of response by waving your arms or trying to hit the bird away from you,” says animal behaviourist and Emeritus Professor Gisela Kaplan, who literally wrote the book on magpies.

“That act is a declaration of open war. A magpie interprets that as a sign of aggression and will then always swoop that person from then on, every year.

“[And] somebody of a similar build, a similar height and hair colour may get mistaken in their fury, or anxiety.”

…But if all else fails, beg for mercy. Although authorities usually warn against feeding wild birds, Prof Kaplan suggests leaving a peace offering like a little bit of bread or meat to win the magpies’ favour.

“You can make friends with magpies… they tend to be very diplomatic,” she says.”

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49ers DE Sam Okuayinonu not on team flight to Australia, questionable with foot injury

The 49ers are on their way to Australia, but defensive end Sam Okuayinonu is not with them.

Shortly before departure, the 49ers announced that Okuayinonu would not be on the team flight to Melbourne for next week's game against the Rams. Okuayinonu has a foot injury.

Ordinarily, when a player doesn't make a team flight, that means he's not going to play in the game, but the 49ers are currently classifying Okuayinonu as questionable. Depending on how his foot responds to treatment in the coming days, it's possible that he'll fly to Australia separately.

Okuayinonu is an important part of the 49ers' defense: Last year he started 12 games in the regular season and both playoff games. This year he's expected to be a backup but get plenty of snaps in the defensive line rotation, if he's healthy.

The 49ers' other players, including tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa, are on the plane. Kittle and Bosa are both rehabbing from injuries and there were concerns that they might not be ready for Week One, but from all indications they're both ready to go against the Rams.

The 49ers are flying to Australia a full week early to adjust to the time change and prepare on-site. The Rams are not arriving in Australia until the day before the game.

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Jon-Eric Sullivan on Quinn Ewers: This is a performance business and it was not getting done

At the end of last season, Quinn Ewers was the Dolphins' starting quarterback. At the end of this preseason, Ewers was traded to the Jaguars for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick. Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan says the decision to move on was based entirely on Ewers' performance in training camp and the preseason.

"When I made the decision I was set," Sullivan said. "Wish Quinn the best, and think Quinn has an opportunity to play in this league for a while and do well. I think he needed a fresh start. I think we needed a fresh start. This is a performance-based business and it was not getting done at the level it needed to get done at. Quinn knew that. We had a lot of conversations. I think Quinn, if he was standing here, would tell you that. I think it was time for him to move on, get a fresh start, and us to start fresh with somebody else as well."

When Ewers left Texas and entered the 2025 NFL draft, he reportedly turned down an $8 million NIL deal to stay in college for one more year. That looked like a mistake when he fell to the seventh round of the draft and signed a four-year, $4.3 million contract. Now Ewers has already had his first NFL team decide to move on.

In Jacksonville, Ewers gets a fresh start, backing up Trevor Lawrence and hoping that if he gets the opportunity to play, he'll show he can get it done.

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What’s the Steelers’ plan at safety?

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 13: Rayshawn Jenkins #31 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images

One of a handful of surprises from the Steelers on cutdown day was the team placing starting safety DeShon Elliott on injured reserve — guaranteeing he’ll miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

Talking to the media on Monday, Pittsburgh general manger Omar Khan claimed that Elliott had no setbacks recovering from his knee injury despite playing last week, saying it just the “right thing to do” after the safety wasn’t 100%.

Already seen as one of the thinnest position groups on the roster, Pittsburgh’s initial safety depth chart has just three names: Jaquan Brisker, Rayshawn Jenkins and rookie Robert Spears-Jennings.

To make things more interesting, Brisker has had a quiet summer, never playing in the preseason and missing the last several weeks of practice with an injury. He’s expected to go Week 1, but his level of readiness — and how he’ll look in general — is difficult to gauge from the outside.

But assuming Brisker is good to go against the Falcons who will start opposite him? It’s worth throwing veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey into the mix, who filled in at safety for the secondary-needy Steelers last year. It’s apparent the team still views Ramsey as a nickel defender first and foremost, but starting him at safety to open the season might allow Pittsburgh to field its best 11 on defense with Brandin Echols also being a capable name defending the slot.

However, I’d guess the Steelers start Jenkins Week 1. The veteran started nine games in 2023 and has 92 career starts under his belt. In the preseason, his strengths had some clear similarities to Elliott, with Jenkins looking comfortable in the box and being used as a blitzer in Patrick Graham’s aggressive scheme with general success.

This stop by Rayshawn Jenkins 😮‍💨

NYJvsPIT on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/4I63pxpt6x

— NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2026

Spears-Jennings deserves mention after a strong preseason himself, but the rookie seventh-rounder will almost certainly be starting his NFL career primarily on special teams. And with two safeties on the practice squad currently in Sebastian Castro and Juanyeh Thomas, Pittsburgh will be able to make some elevations to further bolster the depth, although it will mainly be more special teams contributors.

The secondary should be able to survive the expected four weeks without Elliott. It’s a big loss, but Jenkins can provide Elliott-esque play, and Ramsey’s versatility means he could rotate in as a safety when the team is in base defense, or if Jenkins just isn’t the right player for the situation.

That said, Pittsburgh’s defensive backfield had coverage issues in the preseason, and while it wasn’t a disaster as the team was down most of its starters, there is reason to wonder how those top players will look with little time to gel together before the regular season.

Joey Porter Jr. didn’t practice leading up to cutdown day, staying on the PUP list and waiting for a new contract. Ramsey never played in the preseason and missed time with injury, as did Brisker. And now Elliott will miss the opening stretch of the year.

There are plenty of talented names on paper, but the Steelers secondary is still a mystery headed into Week 1.

What are your thoughts on the Steelers’ safety room? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!

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