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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Daequan Hardy at practice on Nov. 12, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now A Pittsburgh native, Daequan Hardy will be sticking around with his hometown team a little while longer, at least. The 24-year-old cornerback signed a reserve/future deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. Hardy was signed with 12 others as Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan conduct their head coaching search. Hardy, who played at Penn Hills High School and Penn State, spent time on Mike Tomlin’s practice squad this season. He initially joined the Steelers in November, was released later in the month and then brought back a week later in December. Hardy hasn’t yet appeared in a game for the Steelers. In high school, Hardy played on the same 7-on-7 team as Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Tomlin’s son, Dino Tomlin. Hardy was rated a three-star recruit in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2019 class. He was the No. 26 player in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Daequan Hardy takes part in a practice after joining the team. Ed Thompson/Steelers Now Hardy played five seasons for the Nittany Lions, taking the field in 48 games. He totaled 60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 20 passes defended and five interceptions. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Hardy spent his first professional season on the Bills’ practice squad and was signed to a reserve/future contract with the team last offseason. Buffalo released him as part of final roster cuts after training camp, then re-signed to their practice squad the following day. The Bills cut ties with him in August, leading to his Steelers stint.This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Sign Local Product Cornerback for 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon chases New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on Sept. 21, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now By winning Super Bowl LIII in 2019, the New England Patriots earned their sixth Lombardi Trophy, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history. After Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye and the Patriots beat the Houston Texans in a divisional playoff clash on Sunday, the franchise has made company with the Steelers in the record books once more. “The @Patriots tie the Steelers for the most conference championship appearances by an AFC team all-time (16),” NFL+ wrote Sunday night on X. The San Francisco 49ers hold the NFL record with 16 conference championship game appearances. The Steelers had owned the AFC standard since welcoming in Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots ahead of Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. That was New England’s fifth time playing in the AFC Championship game. By stepping on the field then, Pittsburgh passed the then-Oakland Raiders, who had 11 AFC title game appearances. The Raiders haven’t been to that stage since 2003. FOXBOROUGH, MA – AUGUST 22: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) watcher a replay during a preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers on August 22, 2019, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire) After their 41-27 loss to the Patriots in 2005 — Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie season — the Steelers made it back to the AFC Championship game in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2017. Belichick and the Patriots beat Mike Tomlin’s team 36-17 in Pittsburgh’s latest trip. Meanwhile, Steelers fans had to mutter under their breath as New England powered into the AFC Championship game in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Patriots have posted an 11-4 mark on the doorstep of the Super Bowl. The Steelers, meanwhile, are 8-8. New England will aim to better that record when it visits the Bo Nix-less Denver Broncos next Sunday.This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Patriots Tie Long-Held Steelers Record