Top to bottom, the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the highest-paid defenses in football once again entering the 2023 season.
It helps having the highest-paid pass rusher in T.J. Watt, not to mention the second highest-paid safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick, and top 10 paid at their respective positions in Cameron Heyward and now Alex Highsmith, which certainly boosts the groups finances overall.
But with that highest-paid tag comes increased expectations, at least externally.
Internally, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told KDKA’s Richie Walsh that there’s “no added pressure” for the group, and that it’s just all about football and playing the way they know how to, regardless of the money.
“No, and that question came up last year. I don’t think being the highest-paid defense is a pressure,” Austin said to Walsh, according to Steelers Training Camp All Access on Steelers.com. “Those guys know it, they love it. Their goal is to be the best defense, and the money doesn’t matter. Everybody is gonna take their money, but they love football and if they didn’t have the money they’d still play football the same way and still strive to be the best that they can be, so there’s no added pressure.”
As Austin pointed out, the question about added pressure for the highest-paid defense came up last year. Now, entering 2023 after the Steelers spent a bunch of money on the defense again, extending Highsmith, and signing veterans Patrick Peterson, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Damontae Kazee, Keanu Neal and Larry Ogunjobi in free agency.
They’re among the highest paid defenses in the league again — if not the highest-paid.
The Steelers defense should be great, but not because of the money spent on that side of the ball. Instead, they should be great because of the talent assembled.
At every position the Steelers have proven guys with long resumes in the NFL, resumes which show that they are good to great players. Those resumes and the collective talent assembled in Pittsburgh has expectations high defensively. The money comes because of the resumes.
The standards are high because of what the expectations are for their performance level. The pay is already a reflection of what is expected, not the other way around. There’s no added pressure.
For a team that will rely heavily on its defense once again in 2023 to be among the league’s best, take the football away and win games, any pressure will hopefully come from what the pass rush is generating, rather than outside noise involving money and external expectations.
