Yahya Black

Career StatsD

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		17	—	28	2.5
2025		17	0.0	28	2.5

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Steelers landed excellent value with Yahya Black's four-year, $4.6M extension, securing a solid rotational pass rusher at well below-market rates. Black's B CVI reflects the perfect alignment between his depth piece production tier and his modest $1.1M AAV — Pittsburgh essentially locked up a reliable contributor for backup money while most teams are paying $3-4M annually for similar edge depth. The contract structure heavily favors the organization with just $400K guaranteed, giving them maximum flexibility to move on if Black's development stagnates or if they find an upgrade. At his age and career stage, this deal represents pure upside for Pittsburgh's front office, as Black provides quality snaps in their defensive rotation without constraining future roster building. This is textbook how to handle depth signings — secure known production at minimal cost while maintaining all the leverage.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Yahya's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Yahya Black grades as a rotational player among NFL defensive ends — a below-average player at the position. His strongest area is tackles for loss at 0.15 (below the NFL average of 0.30), ranking as well below average for the position. Limited games played (17 career) reduces confidence in this grade.

How Yahya Compares at the Position

Yahya Black ranks 121st of 160 graded defensive ends by performance. That slots Yahya between Ashton Gillotte (D) just ahead and Kingsley Enagbare (D) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Yahya Black enters the 2026 offseason carrying a D- sentiment grade that reflects legitimate concerns about his immediate NFL readiness despite flashes of potential. The Pittsburgh defensive end's rookie campaign was defined more by growing pains than breakthrough moments, with Black himself publicly acknowledging he "hit a wall" during his first professional season—a refreshingly honest but telling admission about the adjustment challenges he faced. An injury setback further derailed his development timeline, preventing him from building the necessary momentum to establish himself in the Steelers' defensive rotation. While Black did generate some positive buzz with a fumble recovery against D'Andre Swift that briefly captured national attention, that highlight largely stands alone in an otherwise concerning debut year. Media and fan perception has settled on viewing him as a developmental depth piece with legitimate upside, but the narrative heading into 2026 positions him as someone who must prove his rookie struggles represented temporary growing pains rather than an early indication of his NFL ceiling.