Following a pair of injuries at outside linebacker last week in training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers reunited with veteran Markus Golden. He was with the team on a one-year contract in 2023 and was exactly what you want from a depth edge defender.
It isn’t the most attractive job for players angling to ascend the ranks in the NFL with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith atop the depth chart, but Golden kept his head down, worked hard, and, by all accounts, was a great teammate in the locker room.
The Steelers did not bring Golden back right away. They let his contract expire. But if it were up to him, he would have re-signed shortly after the 2023 season concluded, per TribLive’s Joe Rutter on X.
“Whatever role I get, I’ll be ready for,” Golden said before Saturday’s practice in a clip posted by 93.7 The Fan on X.
Last season, that role was 230 snaps in a relief role for Watt and Highsmith alongside then-rookie Nick Herbig. This season, Herbig will most likely ascend into the top depth spot and trade places with Golden from last year’s pecking order.
Even knowing that, Golden still wanted to return to the team. That is a testament to his team-first mentality and how much he enjoyed playing in Pittsburgh last season. This will be his 10th season in the NFL. He spent much of his career as a starter and has three individual seasons with 10 or more sacks.
Tomlin discussed why they brought him back after practice a few days ago and said, “He’s just a pro.” He mentioned that Golden is a low-maintenance player who provides wise counsel, so they value his experience and ability to share it with others in the locker room.
He got the opportunity to play in just his fourth career playoff game last season and started that game because Watt’s knee injury suffered in Week 18. He notched a sack in the postseason to go along with four regular-season sacks. That is great production for the limited role he played. The depth at linebacker, both inside and on the edge, is in the best shape it’s been for the Steelers in quite some time.
