In recent weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been criticized by media pundits for spending too much money on defense and not enough on offense. It’s a stupid argument given where the team is, with an offense still on rookie contracts and a defensive unit that was drafted and developed when the Steelers were spending more offensively. Now, it’s time to pay those guys while a young offense gets ushered in.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan said during his press conference at Saint Vincent College today that he doesn’t view it as paying offense vs. paying defense.
“We don’t really look at it that way. There’s a good player and he deserves to get paid, it’s my job to try to lock him up. But we don’t look at it as we’re paying too much of the defense,” Khan said via the team’s YouTube channel.
That’s the way it should be. No team in the NFL balances its spending among offense and defense unless players who are truly worthy of extensions on both sides of the ball come up at the same time. Teams pay who they need to pay to make their team better, regardless of position.
Down the line, Pittsburgh’s offensive spending is going to increase. If Kenny Pickett and George Pickens earn second contracts, that will add to the spending on the offensive side of the ball. And it’s not as if Pittsburgh hasn’t invested in offensive areas of need. It signed James Daniels and Mason Cole in free agency last season, while adding Isaac Seumalo this year and adding depth in Nate Herbig as well.
So it’s not as if the Steelers are neglecting the offense. They extended Diontae Johnson during training camp last year, but they just don’t have guys they need to pay big contracts to yet on offense. When that happens — and it will happen — the Steelers will pay. It just so happens that defensive guys like T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Alex Highsmith have been due for second contracts.
The whole idea of them spending too much on defense is just a stupid and lazy argument. If you look at their roster construction, it makes total sense. And, as Khan said, they aren’t looking at one position against another when it comes to offense vs. defense. They just pay good players. And they’ll continue to do so, whether that good player plays left tackle or outside linebacker.
