The Pittsburgh Steelers have released veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins. The team announced the move Wednesday on its official account, with a tag for Bordas Law. None of the five reports we have gives a reason beyond performance, and none mentions a replacement.
NFL Trade Rumors was the most pointed. It wrote that safety "has been a sore spot for Pittsburgh this season and Jenkins has unfortunately been part of the problem." It also gave his age as 32 and noted he is a former fourth-round pick of the Chargers. Behind the Steel Curtain is the only outlet to give the timeline. The Steelers signed Jenkins on August 1 after releasing Darnell Savage, and BTSC says he appeared in all six games this season. It adds that his role "took a significant step backward" after the loss to the Cleveland Browns. Pro Football Talk and Yahoo Sports carried only the bare transaction.
Our numbers fit that description. Jenkins is credited with 16 tackles this season, 10 of them solo, with no sacks and no forced fumbles. All 16 came in three regular-season games in our game log. He had nine against Cincinnati on Sept. 27, five at New England on Sept. 20 and two against Atlanta in Week 1. The log shows no defensive line for him after Sept. 27. Pittsburgh lost at Cleveland 27-24 on Oct. 1, which is the game BTSC points to as the turning point in his playing time. His 2025 totals were 45 tackles in 17 games, with one interception.
Savage, the player Jenkins was signed to replace, is now with the Buffalo Bills. He had 18 tackles and no sacks in 2025.
The release comes while Pittsburgh is winning. The Steelers are 4-2 and third in the AFC North. They beat Indianapolis 34-22 on Oct. 11 and won at Tampa Bay 26-19 on Oct. 18.
The safety spot is still unsettled. Pittsburgh visits New Orleans on Sunday, Oct. 25. None of the reports says who will take Jenkins' snaps, so the lineup the Steelers send out Sunday will be the first answer.
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