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Veteran safety Eric Rowe has played for some prestigious NFL franchises in his career. Most notably, Rowe spent three seasons with the New England Patriots from 2016-18.
But Rowe still saw an opportunity to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a unique experience.
“It’s pretty nice when you go to a team that historically has always been a stable program,” Rowe said, via Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh. “It’s been tough and physical. I’ve played the Steelers in the past multiple times, and it’s never easy.
“So, going to a program like this, you don’t get to pick where you play, but when they called me, I was like, “Dang, I get a chance to play for the Steelers.’”
Rowe made the most of his opportunity in Pittsburgh. In three regular season games, he made three starts, posting 29 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss. Rowe also had 2 pass defenses, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception.
Furthermore, he recorded 8 combined tackles with 1 pass defense against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card round.
Steelers Organization Receives Significant Praise From Safety Eric Rowe
A debate started during Pittsburgh’s three-game losing streak in December whether the “Steelers way” was dead. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in seven years, which is the team’s longest drought since its first postseason win in 1972.
For Rowe, though, that clearly didn’t matter much. Looking for a job, Rowe was likely to accept any opportunity. But based on his quote, he was obviously still impressed with the black and gold mystique.
Rowe had spent the previous four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. During that time, the Dolphins went through two head coaches — Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel.
After hiring McDaniel, Flores alleged that during the 2019 season Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told him that he would pay him $100,000 for every loss. That’s because Ross wanted the team to tank for a top draft pick.
Even with the lack of recent playoff success, that’s obviously not the same standard the Steelers set for their coaches and players.
How Rowe Could Fit With the Steelers in 2024
Rowe received playing time at the end of the 2023 season in Pittsburgh because of the team’s dire need at safety. But as it turns out, Rowe might not just be a short-term fix for the Steelers.
In his end-of-the-season press conference, head coach Mike Tomlin said Rowe could “certainly” have a role with the team in 2024.
But Pittsburgh’s top four safeties are all under contract for the 2024 season. As is veteran defensive back Patrick Peterson, who suggested he could make a permanent move to safety to extend his career.
However, Peterson could be a cap casualty. As could veteran safety Keanu Neal, who ended the season on injured reserve.
Spotrac projected the Steelers to be more than $6 million over the salary cap at the beginning of free agency. So, the team must make difficult cuts to create cap flexibility to sign free agents.
That could make Rowe an appealing option to replace Peterson and Neal. Rowe is likely to cost significantly less. He also played better than Peterson did at safety.
In 103 games during his nine-year NFL career, Rowe has posted 410 combined tackles, including 8 tackles for loss. He also has had 43 pass defenses, 6 interceptions and 2 sacks.
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