Even after a busy offseason that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers make some significant changes and upgrades through free agency, trades and the 2024 NFL Draft, there are seemingly quite a few questions about the Black and Gold ahead of the 2024 season.
Some of those questions, like play under center, depth issues at receiver and concerns at slot cornerback, have many believing that the Steelers, despite the clear upgrades, are the worst team in the division in the AFC North, and by a comfortable margin.
For standout defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, he has just one message to those questioning the Steelers.
“Just stay tuned. We got a lot of work to do. Camp’s coming up,” Heyward said of the Steelers during an appearance on the Up and Adams Show on FanDuel TV Thursday. “But nothing’s set in stone. We got something to prove. And everybody can have their opinions, but at the end of the day, they don’t matter.”
Coming off a 10-7 season that saw them reach the playoffs despite dealing with a number of injuries defensively and working through three different starting quarterbacks, the Steelers very clearly upgraded their roster across the board.
The quarterback position with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields is much better, on paper, than what they’ve had in the past. Adding Patrick Queen to the defense strengthens the front seven even further, giving Pittsburgh a true answer at inside linebacker once again.
Even the hiring of Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator is a massive improvement for the Steelers.
Yet despite the clear upgrades and philosophical shift, there is quite a bit of doubt when it comes to Pittsburgh, which seems to center on Wilson and Smith and that dynamic overall. That certainly seems fair. Wilson is coming off of a tough tenure in Atlanta and Smith struggled as head coach in Atlanta.
But the Steelers, top to bottom, are a good team on paper, one that should be getting more respect than they are at the moment, especially in the division.
For Heyward, the outside noise is heard, but it’s just that right now: noise. It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. In two weeks, the team will hit the practice field at Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe to kick off training camp, and then they’ll have a chance to start putting an end to some of those questions and concerns, letting their play do the talking.
Until then, the noise will continue. Just stay tuned though. The Steelers appear quite motivated entering 2024.
