During their reign atop the league in sacks, the Steelers got steady contributions from their inside linebackers, often racking up high single-digit or even double-digit totals as a group. But that production has cratered in recent years. Despite rostering three capable blitzers in Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, and Payton Wilson, the trio combined for just two sacks.
Queen hopes to return to the blitz to help make splash plays for the defense in 2025.
“I sure hope so,” Queen said when asked if they will have more pressure packages this year via Pittsburgh DSEN on YouTube. “We still ain’t got everything in, but I definitely do feel like there’ll be a lot more pressure going in; just with all the tools and pieces that we got. You can play man across the board; you can play zone.
“Y’all know I love to blitz, so I’m hoping for it.”
Queen’s one sack in 2024 was the lowest total of his five-year career so far. He had just 79 pass rush snaps compared to 123 the year prior in Baltimore. And that wasn’t a trend that was isolated to just Queen. Roberts only had 49 pass rush snaps and Wilson just 39.
If you add up the eight sacks over the last four years combined, it still wouldn’t pass the 2017 (10) or 2018 (8) totals from a single season.
| Steelers’ ILB Sacks By Year | |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2019 | 6.5 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2017 | 10 |
On the bright side, they have the best and most talented secondary they’ve had in years. Trusting the back end to cover up eligible receivers will free up the inside linebackers to blitz at a higher rate. Even if they don’t get home, they can help flush quarterbacks out of the pocket and into the laps of players like T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Alex Highsmith.
Our Alex Kozora noted the double mug look by the Steelers’ defense several times today. This aligns both players in the A-gap to stress pass protection. Even if they don’t go, it gives the offensive line a lot to think about.
The same applies to whoever they play in the slot. DeShon Elliott and Jalen Ramsey have already shown some pressure in training camp so far.
The Steelers aren’t paying their defense the highest total in the league to finish T-16th in sacks like they did last season. If teams have figured out how to slow down the outside linebackers, it’s time to get the inside backers more involved.
