Steelers A to Z: Athletic D’Shawn Jamison hopes to stick as DB, possible return man

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

CB D’SHAWN JAMISON

Experience/age: Played in 15 games as a rookie two years ago, 26

Contract status: $960,000 cap hit if he makes the team in 2025, after which would be an exclusive rights free agent

The past: Jamison had a five-year playing career at the University of Texas that began briefly as a wide receiver and included touchdowns three different ways after switching over to defense: one on a punt return, two on kickoff returns and one interception return. Jamison, a Houston native, played in 60 games for his state’s flagship program, making 40 starts. Effectively a four-year starter in the secondary (39 starts in 47 games his final four seasons), Jamison by far played most of his snaps as an outside cornerback.

Jamison probably went undrafted mostly because of his size (5 feet 9, 186 pounds), but he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers soon after the 2023 draft ended. Though he didn’t make the roster of what would end up the NFC champions, Jamison was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers before that season began. After sitting out their opener a week later, Jamison appeared in 15 of the Panthers’ final 16 games, mostly on special teams but appearing in 11% of their defensive snaps.

But Jamison did not make the Panthers’ out of last year’s camp/preseason. The Steelers signed him to their practice squad early in Week 3. He remained on it the rest of the year and re-upped via a reserve/future deal soon after the season ended.

Sam Franklin is obviously the star on this play, but the #Panthers don’t get a touchdown without CB D’Shawn Jamison’s huge block on Kirk Cousins pic.twitter.com/35R0bxRg7t

— Edgar Salmingo, Jr. ✌???? (@PanthersAnalyst) October 1, 2023

2025 outlook: From the time since he was one of the top high school recruits though a lengthy playing career for a blue-blood college program and even in making a roster and playing almost every game as an undrafted rookie, Jamison has repeatedly shown has ability. If he was only a couple inches taller, maybe he would have been drafted higher and therefore have been given more of a chance.

The Steelers liked him to the point of not only adding him to their practice squad but in keeping him on for another season. This will be his first training camp with the team, and he surely will get chances to show he can impress on special teams and probably as a return man. The Steelers probably have an opening at the bottom of their 53-man roster for a defensive back. If Jamison can make some plays at Saint Vincent and during the preseason, he’ll at least get a look.