If you look at the Steelers’ history, so many of the legendary players who have come through Pittsburgh played on the defensive side of the ball. During the most dominant stretch of the team’s history, the iconic part of the team was the defense known as the Steel Curtain.
Great defense (and great defensive players) is a part of the Steelers’ DNA. That even continues in 2024. Per Spotrac, the Steelers spent the most money in the NFL on the defensive side of the ball in 2024 at $127.75 million. That was nearly $20 million more than the team in second, the Green Bay Packers. In all, only four teams spent more than $100 million on the defensive side of the ball. That includes the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens.
And three of those teams are playoff-bound. But does anyone feel good about the Steelers’ chances of making a deep run in the playoffs? Is the focus on the defensive side of the ball hindering the Steelers’ chances of contending?
“The Steelers will, for the third year in a row, lead the NFL in defensive spending,” Colin Cowherd said Thursday on the Herd. “The Steelers have always been about defense, even when they had Terry Bradshaw and Big Ben [Roethlisberger]. And they’ve become a team with an incredibly low ceiling as the league over the last decade has pivoted to an offensive league. So they’re no longer lousy [on offense], but again, lead the league third year in a row, [in] defensive spending. It’s like, you ever meet a chain smoker? They know it’s killing them but can’t stop? Defense is where they’re going to spend their money. They know it’s not going to win them trophies, but they can’t stop.”
Is it really that bad? The Steelers have a chance to snag their 11th win of the season on Saturday. And with a little help, they can still win the AFC North.
But not many feel good about the Steelers making a playoff run. And that’s because the offense is limited. QB Russell Wilson has helped the offense improve since taking over as the starter in Week 7. But he’s struggled over the last few weeks with turnovers. And during the three-game losing streak, the offense has failed to put up more than 17 points in a single game.
And as for offensive spending, the Steelers dole out the second-fewest dollars on that side of the ball ($49.21 million). Now, a part of that is that the Denver Broncos are paying almost the entirety of Wilson’s hefty salary this year. But it’s not like the Steelers took that savings and surrounded Wilson with all the talent in the world. The Steelers are also spending the second-fewest dollars at the wide receiver position ($6.82 million). And we all know just how much of a talent issue the Steelers have had at that position.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are spending $111.73 million on the offensive side of the ball. That’s the fifth-highest total in the league. They’re also the only team spending $100 million-plus on both sides of the ball this year. And the Kansas City Chiefs, the top seed in the AFC and winners of the last two Super Bowls? They’re actually second in the league in spending on the offensive side of the ball behind the Los Angeles Rams. But they’re spending almost $100 million more than the Steelers ($145.1 million).
And it’s not like the Steelers are fielding the best defense in the league this year, either. They have forced the most turnovers in the league (31), but they aren’t even a top-five scoring defense (seventh, allowing 20.5 points per game). It would be easy to say the Steelers aren’t getting their money’s worth from the defensive side of the ball this year.
I don’t think it’s an issue spending money on the defensive side of the ball. What I think Cowherd is trying to say is that the Steelers are singularly focused on building a dominant defense at the expense of the offense. Their biggest rivals, the Ravens, are finding a way to spend money on both sides of the ball. And that’s why their offense is playing at a much higher level than Pittsburgh’s.
Are the Steelers stuck in a rut of their own choosing like a chain smoker? Perhaps. Head coach Mike Tomlin has proven that he wants a dominant defense year in and year out. But even he admits that he would look to someone with an offensive background if he were hiring a head coach.
And we also know the Steelers did pursue some big-ticket wide receivers this offseason (and even during the season). So yes, they’re spending the second-fewest dollars at the position. But they did go after San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk during the offseason. So maybe it isn’t necessarily by choice right at the moment.
But the Steelers have a defensive identity. It’s part of what makes the Steelers the Steelers. And if they keep leaning into that, it might just keep choking the life out of their championship aspirations.
