Dean, 29, is coming off a 2025 season where he put up a career-high three interceptions and ranked first among 144 qualified cornerbacks with an almost-perfect 99.9 pass rush grade and10th in pass coverage (75.9).
He posted an astounding opposing passer rating of 47.7 and has only allowed one touchdown in the past two seasons, giving a huge boost to a Steelers secondary that ranked 29th last season. The kicker is that Dean hasn't played a full season since being in the league, missing eight games the past two seasons alone.
Pittsburgh also traded for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts earlier on Monday (details here).
Samuel, 26, has only played 10 games (seven starts) the past two seasons. He finished 2025 with just 10 tackles and one interception in six games. Pre-2024, Samuel showed great promise as a young corner for the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing each of his first three seasons with at least two interceptions and 11 pass deflections.
However, he missed most of the 2024 season after sustaining a "stinger" in his shoulder/neck area. This past year, he had spinal fusion surgery to fix a structural issue that the young corner has been dealing with since he was a kid.
