It won’t come as a shock, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ money still heavily tilts in favor of their defense. As calculated and outlined in Warren Sharp’s 2024 NFL preview, the Steelers rank 32nd in spending on their offense. They’re first when it comes to spending on their defense. Extremes in line with recent years and haven’t changed heading into the new year.
Per his just-released book, here are the Steelers’ position group spending breakdowns.
Offense – 32nd
QB – 29th
OL – 18th
RB – 29th
WR – 31st
TE – 28th
Defense – 1st
DL – 1st
LB – 4th
CB – 27th
S – 2nd
To be clear, Sharp doesn’t detail if he’s talking spending in a cash or cap perspective. It appears to be cap, which opens up teams to manipulating money to function under the salary cap, making these exercises tougher to judge. But the overall sentiment is clear. Pittsburgh spends plenty on its defense, little on its offense.
But there’s missing context. Youth plays a factor. Pittsburgh has a much younger offense, investing heavily on that side of the ball under GM Omar Khan after drafting and spending on defense throughout the latter half of Kevin Colbert’s tenure. Because of that discrepancy, the older defense became free agents sooner and had to be paid to be retained. The offense will catch up as it ages and as the defense undergoes a youth movement in the next few years, balancing the scales.
Pittsburgh also has the luxury of a unique quarterback situation. They signed Russell Wilson for the minimum because the Denver Broncos are on the hook for the rest of his contract. Justin Fields is still on his rookie deal. The same is true for carryovers like RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, WR George Pickens, TE Pat Freiermuth and OTs Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. The talent is there and soon, the cost will be, too.
By next year, the Steelers’ spending could look much different. Freiermuth is likely to earn a long-term extension. Pickens will be eligible for an extension, and if he has a strong 2024, he could ask for $30 million per year. The elephant in the room is quarterback. Pittsburgh won’t cheaply pay the position next year, especially if Wilson or Fields are worth extending long-term.
An aging Steelers defense could see changes, too. DL Cam Heyward is a pending free agent with no guarantee of being on the roster in 2025. CB Donte Jackson is on a one-year deal and may not be back. And DL Larry Ogunjobi might not have a future in Pittsburgh without an impressive season, due a roster bonus in March that could be declined.
While Sharp’s numbers may be accurate, there’s context the raw data leaves out. And that’s as important as anything when it comes to understanding how and where Pittsburgh is building its team.
