Steelers Urged to Acquire Former Archnemesis Safety

Getty Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox is encouraging the Pittsburgh Steelers to target safety Duron Harmon in free agency.

As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. Or in this case, get them to join you.

Safety Duron Harmon has been a thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh Steelers during his 10-year NFL career. As a member of the New England Patriots, Harmon intercepted 5 passes in six games against the Steelers.

But instead of perhaps facing the veteran safety again this season, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued, the Steelers should target Harmon in free agency.

“Adding seasoned vet Duron Harmon would give Pittsburgh a starting-caliber safety and some positional versatility on the back end,” Knox wrote on August 7. “Harmon, who last suited up for the Las Vegas Raiders, has played both free and strong safety in his career.

“Harmon, who can also contribute on special teams, has appeared in 161 games and started 78 of them,” he wrote.

Harmon played with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. He posted 86 combined tackles, 5 pass defenses, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in 17 games during 2022.

Duron Harmon Has Been a Steelers Killer

Harmon didn’t have an interception against the Steelers on Christmas Eve last season when the Raiders visited Acrisure Stadium. But when the place was called Heinz Field, Harmon always seemed to come up with a big play while with the Patriots.

None was bigger than when Harmon intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the end zone during the final 10 seconds of a 27-24 Patriots victory in Week 15 of the 2017 season.

Coming two plays after the infamous Jesse James touchdown catch, which was ruled incomplete because he didn’t “survive the ground,” Harmon’s interception ended the game and led to playoff home-field advantage for the Patriots. The play also meant the Steelers would eventually face the Jacksonville Jaguars in the division round of the AFC playoffs, which, in retrospect, was not a good matchup for Pittsburgh.

Harmon, though, has also intercepted 4 other passes in his career against the Steelers. He had two in 2018, which was a matchup Pittsburgh won. Harmon intercepted Roethlisberger in 2013 and 2015 as well.

Not only have 5 of Harmon’s 23 career interceptions come against the Steelers, but he doesn’t have more than 2 picks against any other team in the league.

How Harmon Could Fit With the Steelers

The Steelers lost starting safety Terrell Edmunds this offseason, but they re-signed Damontae Kazee and added veteran Keanu Neal.

Still, Knox argued Harmon should be a free agent consideration for the Steelers because of his versatility and ball skills.

“Though Harmon is 32, he’s still quite capable of starting if needed. He started 16 games for Las Vegas in 2022 and started all 17 for the Atlanta Falcons the previous season,” Knox wrote. “His ball skills—he’s logged at least two interceptions in six straight seasons—would fit in nicely with the Steelers’ aggressive brand of pass defense (20 INTs in 2022).”

Even at an affordable price (Harmon played last season on a contract worth about $1.27 million), the possibility of adding Harmon makes the back end of Pittsburgh’s secondary feel crowded. But injuries could change that quickly.

Both Kazee and Neal have been dealing with injuries at training camp. On August 8, the Steelers signed veteran safety Jalen Elliott for additional depth.

If Kazee and Neal continue to battle injuries in September and later in the season, the likelihood of Pittsburgh making a more significant move to help its safety depth increases.