The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 offseason is one Steeler Nation will never forget. After falling short in the playoffs yet again last season, the front office went on a mission to improve the team and rallied a bunch of players to come to Pittsburgh. Most of the fan base recalls the hiring of Arthur Smith and acquisitions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields when they think about the big moves this offseason. However, the new additions to the defense have been super underrated and could be the difference maker this season.
Between trades, free agency, and the draft, the Steelers got themselves some solid new pieces. In the early stages of the offseason, Pittsburgh traded Diontae Johnson in exchange for Donte Jackson, a speedster cornerback. The Steelers were slow and weak at corner in 2023, but Jackson is a huge upgrade to pair with Joey Porter Jr. Sometime after that, the Steelers made one of the biggest free agency signings in franchise history by stealing former Baltimore Ravens LB Patrick Queen.
Queen, who played four years with the Ravens and made a name for himself, was arguably the best middle linebacker on the market. The Steelers have lacked talent and speed at middle linebacker ever since Ryan Shazier went down for good in 2017. Then Pittsburgh drafted Payton Wilson, who is another fast, hard-hitting linebacker whose stock fell due to his injury history. Finally, the Steelers found another safety to pair with Minkah Fitzpatrick, which has been a weak point in their defense. DeShon Elliott comes into town as another guy who plays fast and physical.
The Steelers have lacked physicality and speed defensively, but TJ Watt says that should no longer be an issue.
Watt's biggest takeaway is that the defense gained a ton of speed, but didn't lose their size in the process. Luckily, the defense didn't lose any key pieces this offseason. While there are still going to be some questions and concerns for the offense, the defense, once again, is going to be very reliable. If the new quarterback additions aren't what gets the offense going, the 2024 season will be another where the defense carries the load.
Watt had a phenomenal 2023 season and was upset with the AP Defensive Player of the Year selection. The linebacker tallied 19 sacks, which is the second most in his career and led the NFL. He even scored his first career touchdown off of a fumble recovery, not including his scoop and score against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 Wild Card round. What kind of year is in store for Watt and the Pittsburgh defense?
Steelers' Defense Has Big Test Week 1
The Steelers are facing off against the Atlanta Falcons to start off the season. Much like the Steelers, the Falcons have a bunch of new additions on both the offense and the defense. They added QB Kirk Cousins after landing him in free agency, so now their play-makers have a reliable passer. Between Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, the Steelers' defense will have their hands full. In recent seasons, this offense would probably give them problems. Their new additions to the team though should make things a whole lot easier, but that will remain to be seen.
The defense already has some pressure on it to perform well, considering the team doesn't even know who the starting quarterback will be. Wilson's calf injury brings some concern, and it may be Fields as QB1 for the opening week. It's not likely that either a banged up Wilson or Fields will absolutely light it up on Sunday, so the defense has to prevent the Falcons from scoring.
