Steelers Now
New Pittsburgh Steelers safety Darnell Savage Jr. will wear No. 31 for the black and gold. The veteran signed to a one-year deal with the club on Tuesday. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Savage agreed to terms with the Steelers in March but did not officially sign until now. The reason for the delay has not been disclosed.
Savage played for three teams last year — two games for Jacksonville, eight games for Washington and two games for the Buffalo Bills. He also started 13 games for the Jaguars in 2024.
Savage spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, who selected him in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. By then, however, Mike McCarthy had been replaced at the helm by Matt LaFleur.
In 97 career games, 83 starts, Savage has recorded 371 tackles (275 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 41 passes defended, three forced fumbles, three quarterback hits and one interception, which was a pick-six.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS TO WEAR NO. 31
The last Steelers player to wear No. 31 was cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. Bishop was released from the team’s practice squad in November of last year.
Bishop had not appeared in a game with the team this season, despite significant turnover at the cornerback position and injuries to Cory Trice and Donte Kent.
Bishop, 25, first signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia in 2024. The 5-foot-9, 182-pound defensive back found a home as a slot cornerback in Pittsburgh, helping to replace Cam Sutton while he served a suspension at the start of the 2024 season.
The most notable Steelers player to wear No. 31 is Hall of Famer Donnie Shell.
Shell, who won four Super Bowls in the 1970s, spent his entire 14-year career with the Steelers. His 51 career interceptions are the third-most in Steelers history. He also still holds the NFL record for the most career interceptions by a strong safety.
Shell will be inducted as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2020 Centennial class, along with fellow Steelers Troy Polamalu and Bill Cowher.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers New Safety Receives Jersey Number
