On the heels of the best performance of his young career, Steelers rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings earned praise from his position coach. Pittsburgh’s assistant head coach and secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. went into detail about what he’s already noticed about Spears-Jennings and why he’s not surprised that he’s already making plays in the NFL.
Steelers Coach Joe Whitt Jr. Praises Rookie Safety Robert Spears-Jennings
“When we drafted the young man, the only thing we needed to do, big plays found him because the eye control wasn’t there,” Whitt explained to reporter Nick Farabaugh of PennLive about what he’s worked on with Spears-Jennings to make him a complete player.
“That’s the only thing the kid didn’t have. We’ve worked on his keys and reads and that’s brought out the football player that he is. He communicates at a very high level, as well as anyone on the defense,” he added.
“When we drafted the young man, the only thing we needed to do, big plays found him because the eye control wasn’t there. That’s the only thing the kid didn’t have…we’ve worked on his keys and reads and that’s brought out
Spears-Jennings’ impact on the secondary has even extended beyond the conventional numbers, too.
PFF Awarded Spears-Jennings the Highest Grade Among Rookie Safeties
PFF awarded Spears-Jennings a grade of 76.5 in the Steelers 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris, France. A victory led by the defense, Spears-Jennings recorded three total tackles, with one credited as solo and two assisted.
Sunday marked the second consecutive game with two tackles for Spears-Jennings, who also made multiple in back-to-games to start the season, with three in the season-opening win over the Falcons and four in the loss to the Patriots.
Spears-Jennings Enjoyed His Best Performance Against the Browns
His single-season high came against Pittsburgh’s upcoming opponent, the rival Cleveland Browns on the Thursday Night Football stage, a game the Steelers lost 27-24.
Overall on the season, Spears-Jennings has 21 combined tackles, 12 solo and nine assisted, two pass deflections and an interception, also from the first matchup with the Browns.
A 2026 seventh round pick out of Oklahoma, Spears-Jennings, now 22, is carving out his place on the Steelers and working to exceed his draft placement.
The potential is there, as evident by his individual production in four season on the field in college with the Sooners. He made 178 tackles – 102 on his own, had four pass deflections, 2.5 sacks and a pair of picks in 47 games.
Spears-Jennings will get another chance to make his mark on the Steelers’ rivalry with the Browns this weekend when Pittsburgh hosts Cleveland at noon ET from Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers Coach Reveals What’s Led Rookie Safety to Instant Success