The Buffalo Bills found some short-term help for their secondary late last season, covering up for an unexpected setback by landing veteran Darnell Savage Jr. off waivers.
After filling in a key role for the Bills, Savage is now headed to a conference rival. The Steelers announced on Tuesday that they signed Savage to a one-year deal, adding a steady veteran to their secondary.
Darnell Savage Moving On From Buffalo
Savage joined the Bills off waivers late last season, filling in a hole that the team had unintentionally created in the secondary. The Bills initially signed veteran defensive back Darius Slay off waivers, but he refused to report to the team and later retired.
The Bills waived veteran cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram to make room for Slay on the roster and intended to re-sign Ingram to their practice squad, but he was instead claimed by the Houston Texans and went on to play a significant role in their playoff run.
The moves left the Bills with a vacancy in their secondary, which they later filled by claiming Savage off waivers. He appeared in two games with one start, making two total tackles.
The Bills were stung by Slay’s decision, especially after the longtime veteran made it publicly clear that he had no desire to play in Buffalo.
“I don’t feel like packing up and moving again,” Slay said on “The Speakeasy.” “I’m 13 years in, like, I done did it. Like, they would have caught me at like 28, 29, I might have been like ‘OK.’ That’s a top organization. They have a lot of great things going. They win, they go to the playoffs, they got a franchise quarterback. So, it wasn’t a bad fit, it just caught me at a bad time.”
Savage was enthusiastic about coming to Buffalo, jumping immediately into a significant role for a team headed for the playoffs and facing some key injuries to their secondary.
The Steelers noted in their announcement that Savage has plenty of experience across his NFL career, which started with the Green Bay Packers in 2019.
“Savage has appeared in 88 games, with 82 starts, in his first seven seasons in the NFL,” the Steelers noted. “He has spent time with the Green Bay Packers (2019-23), Jacksonville Jaguars (2024-25), Washington Commanders (2025) and Buffalo Bills (2025).
“Savage has 10 career interceptions, returned for 141 yards (14.1-yard average), including one for a touchdown. He also has 367 tackles, including 273 solo stops, 40 passes defensed, 11 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack.”
The Steelers are making an all-in move for a Super Bowl run, bringing back veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers for what he said will be his final season in the NFL.
Bills Making Changes to the Secondary
The Bills have already made some sweeping changes to their secondary after the departure of head coach Sean McDermott and shift to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who is bringing a new 3-4 base defense.
The Bills parted ways with some longtime veterans, trading Taron Johnson and parting ways with Dane Jackson, while allowing Tre’Davious White to hit free agency.
Ex-Bills Safety Lands With Conference Rival in Offseason Move