Jamel Dean Has One Request From Aaron Rodgers
PITTSBURGH —New Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jamel Dean revealed during his introductory press conference on Friday that he’s looking forward to playing with Aaron Rodgers . Rodgers hasn’t officially committed to a 22nd NFL season, but Dean is confident that the four-time NFL MVP will be back.
He also has a special request from Rodgers. He hopes the future Hall of Famer will sign his football from when he had a pick-six off him in 2020 .
“I am looking forward to [Rodgers] signing back,” Dean said. “Because that same football, I need him to sign it. I’ve been waiting like five years just to be able to ask him like, ‘Hey, you remember this ball? I’ve been meaning for you to sign this ball for so many years, and I think this is a good time to do it now.’”
Beanie Bishop picked off Rodgers twice in 2024, and he signed Bishop’s two footballs for him . So I’m sure he’ll oblige to Dean’s request.
The Steelers inked Dean to a three-year, $36.75 million deal, promptly replacing James Pierre , who left to join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz believes the Dean signing should be receiving more attention.
“Dean led the NFL in my cornerback coverage DVOA metric last season, ahead of superstars such as Derek Stingley Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell ,” Schatz wrote . “Cornerback statistics are notoriously inconsistent from season to season, so you can’t count on Dean to have another outstanding season in 2026. But he was above average in 2024 as well and will turn 30 years old in October.”
Per Pro Football & Sports Network, Dean allowed a 46.9 passer rating against last season, the lowest in the NFL. Dean’s new coverage partner, Joey Porter Jr. , posted a 56.2 mark, which ranked third. Dean gave up just one touchdown reception last season and didn’t allow any the season before that. Quarterbacks only completed 46.3% of the passes they threw his way last go-round.
Dean spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Buccaneers, starting 77 games.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Jamel Dean Has One Request From Aaron Rodgers
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