The Pittsburgh Steelers have their work cut out for them this offseason as they try to build a contending roster. No longer in a “reloading” stage, they are now a team looking for answers rather than filling gaps. After another disappointing season in 2023, we look back on the roster as we move into the next phase.
Position: Outside Linebacker
Total Positional Figure: 7
Additions: 0
Deletions: 0
Players Retained:
Under Contract:
T.J. Watt: While T.J. Watt only owns one Defensive Player of the Year Award, he probably holds the record for the most awards stolen from him. He should have at least three by now, if not four, none more deserving than in 2023. He led the NFL in sacks, once again, but unfortunately trailed in the crucial Pass Rush Win Rate metric. Indeed, he matched or bettered award winner Myles Garrett in all traditional statistics. Joe Greene remains the only Steelers player to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award multiple times.
Alex Highsmith: He may have failed to register as many sacks as a year ago, but Highsmith arguably played better in 2023. He produced two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. In addition, he caused two forced fumbles along with seven sacks and eight tackles for loss. Teams respect him more and more, opponents acknowledging him in press conferences as more than just “the other guy”. The Steelers understood his worth, which is why they extended him last summer.
Nick Herbig: A 2023 fourth-round pick, Herbig proved skeptics who questioned if he could play at his size in the NFL wrong. Well, he did that on a limited sample size. Truth be told, we still don’t know how he holds up against a greater workload. But he produced very well relative to playing time, and the Steelers are surely excited for his future.
David Perales: A rookie college free agent in 2023, Perales spent most of the season on the practice squad. He never made it up to the 53-man roster, and the Steelers cut him a couple times for positional needs. But they signed him to a Reserve/Future contract at the end of the season, so he’s back for 2024.
Pending Free Agents:
Markus Golden: Golden played just 230 snaps but recorded four sacks and six tackles for loss in that time. He performed well pretty consistently, offering some timely pass rushing in a key moment or two. The Steelers surely want to re-sign him after having their best depth in years.
Chapelle Russell: Russell spent the 2023 season on the Reserve/Injured List after serving on the practice squad a year prior. Thanks to the accrued season, he is now technically a restricted free agent, but the Steelers aren’t going to tender him. They could re-sign him to a Veteran Salary Benefit deal, however.
Additions:
Jeremiah Moon: A former Baltimore Raven, the Steelers claimed him off waivers. An exclusive rights free agent, he recently signed a one-year, $915,000 deal with the Steelers. Moon played 99 snaps last season in Baltimore, plus 142 on special teams, registering 12 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Deletions: N/A
Offseason Strategy:
The Pittsburgh Steelers take comfort in knowing who their starters are in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. They have been the starters for the past three years together, and that doesn’t appear likely to change soon. They also have a promising second-year player in Nick Herbig.
The question is, can Herbig be that spot-starter No. 3 edge rusher? Is he a do-everything player or does he need to operate situationally to function best? The Steelers certainly want to address the depth here and probably want to re-sign Markus Golden.
Golden provided some of the best work the Steelers have had off the bench at this position in some time. They got him on just a one-year, Veteran Salary Benefit deal, as well. I don’t know that he substantially bolstered his market, but he may prefer to play somewhere that offers him a chance to compete for a starting job. If they fail to re-sign Golden, ideally, they find a similarly qualified veteran. They have more pressing needs in the draft, in my estimation.
