Yesterday, it was reported that the Steelers were signing veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins. When the team officially announced the signing today, they added that, as a result, another veteran safety would be released, making Darnell Savage a free agent.
Savage came to the NFL as a first-round pick out of Maryland in 2019. As a rookie on the Packers, Savage became an immediate starter, replacing another former first-rounder in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Next to fellow starter Adrian Amos, Savage impressed early, but his performance declined as he approached the end of his rookie contract. Still, the Packers exercised his fifth-year option, and it seemed as if he was a part of Green Bay’s plans for the future.
After Savage played out his fifth-year option, though, it seemed the Packers were content to allow him to walk. When no offer came to extend Savage’s time in Green Bay, he signed a three-year, free agent deal with the Jaguars. In his first year in Jacksonville, Savage started 13 games, but the analytics still gauged that his performances were continuing to decline in quality with each season. In the second year of his deal last season, he lost his starting job and was released by the Jaguars just two games into the season.
Savage quickly rebounded, signing a deal to join the Commanders, but he continued to struggle in a rotational role. After appearing in eight games, Savage asked to part ways with the team, and Washington honored his wishes, sending him to the late-season waiver wire where he was claimed by the Bills. Savage closed out the season in Buffalo, starting in a meaningless regular season finale before getting minimal run in Buffalo’s short postseason run.
He signed in the offseason with Pittsburgh as the Steelers moved on from Kyle Dugger and Chuck Clark, expecting the return of a healthy DeShon Elliott to pair with free agent addition Jaquan Brisker. As it became known the team was looking more into its depth at safety, it wasn’t immediately clear that Pittsburgh wasn’t perhaps satisfied with what Savage brought to the table. With Jenkins on board, though, it seems the Steelers feel well-positioned enough, to allow Savage to continue searching for his next long-term home in the NFL.
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