The Pittsburgh Steelers are bolstering their pass rush, signing veteran EDGE rusher Markus Golden, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who notes it’s a one-year deal.
Golden, 32, has been an effective pass rusher throughout his career. In 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals, he played in 17 games, starting 14, and finished with 48 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The year before was an impactful one with Golden finishing with 11 sacks as a rotational pass rusher.
He quickly reacted to the news on Twitter.
Golden has 47 career sacks and has hit triple-digits three times: 2016 (12.5), 2019 (10.0), and 2021 (11.0). Though he lacks length, he’s a squatty body who has proven he can get after the quarterback.
Golden should become the Steelers’ #3 EDGE rusher behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, providing better and clearer depth than what Pittsburgh had prior to the signing. Other names in the mix include fourth-round pick Nick Herbig, who may play outside and inside, and former sixth-round pick Quincy Roche, who returned to the team earlier this year after spending time with the New York Giants.
Golden’s signing could be a sign that second-year player DeMarvin Leal will return to the team’s initial plan to play along the defensive line. After T.J. Watt suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle in Week One, Leal dropped weight and played a hybrid role as an outside linebacker and sub-package defensive lineman pass rusher.
This signing is just the latest in a flurry of offseason moves under GM Omar Khan in his first full offseason with the team. The bottom half of Pittsburgh’s roster looks far different than it did in 2022, and the Steelers adding proven depth at EDGE, a critical position to the team’s success, is a smart move.
