Like Markus Golden, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Markus Golden
Position: Outside Linebacker
Experience: 9 Years
The Steelers signed veteran OLB Markus Golden after the 2023 NFL Draft to a Veteran Salary Benefit deal. To say that he benefited them considerably is an understatement. He provided valuable depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, which they sorely lacked a year earlier. In just 230 defensive snaps, he recorded 4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss.
They haven’t seen that kind of volume from their rotational edge rushers in years. The last quality example needs a caveat because that was James Harrison. Harrison ebbed and flowed between starter and reserve in his final seasons, but more so starter. For much of that time, the Steelers wasted snaps trying to figure out Jarvis Jones.
Golden was a full-time starter just the previous season with the Arizona Cardinals when he logged 781 snaps. He remained unsigned until after the draft, usually a telling sign for a free agent over 30. But the Steelers saw the value in him and agreed to a deal.
The only question is if he improved his market. Will any other team offer him more than another Veteran Salary Benefit contract? What are the Steelers willing to pay him? They have to consider that they also have Nick Herbig, a 2023 fourth-round pick, who may have impressed even more.
In just 191 snaps, Herbig recorded 3 sacks with 5 tackles for loss while also forcing 2 fumbles. He recovered one of them by himself on a strip sack, one of the more impressive plays of the season. Are they comfortable with him in the full-time number three role?
I’m sure the Steelers would like to re-sign Golden. He never seemed to take issue with his role, even for the game they made him inactive due to the fact that he doesn’t contribute on special teams and they needed helmets elsewhere. But if another team sees the value in him, the Steelers may lose a minor bidding war. Maybe even a team is willing to offer him a larger role, though I’m not sure I see that.
