As season winds down, Steelers have handful of players eyeing bigger roles on defense
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Teryl Austin doesn’t believe in the phrase “Wait till next year.”
Not with four games remaining and not with the 5-8 Pittsburgh Steelers mathematically still in the hunt for the final spot in the AFC playoffs.
Even if the Steelers are eliminated Sunday when they face the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, the team’s first-year defensive coordinator probably isn’t going to plan for the future at the expense of the present.
“We’re in the business of trying to win a game,” Austin said emphatically this week. “I’m not in the business of trying to see who’s up for next year’s varsity squad. I want guys right now that can help us win a game because our job is to win games now, and that’s the only way I’ll coach.”
Circumstances, though, might necessitate Austin dealing with both objectives down the stretch. Because of injuries at all three levels of the defense, Austin might have to use younger, less experienced players against Carolina, Las Vegas, Baltimore and Cleveland.
Chris Wormley’s trip to injured reserve with a foot injury could result in more playing time for rookie defensive end DeMarvin Leal and second-year end Isaiahh Loudermilk. Inside linebacker Myles Jack’s groin injury could result in rookie Mark Robinson dressing for the second time this season.
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The secondary doesn’t have any pressing injuries heading into Week 15, but Ahkello Witherspoon and William Jackson remain on injured reserve. James Pierre could continue to see extended playing time at cornerback, although the prospects aren’t as good for second-year backup safety Tre Norwood.
Even if Austin doesn’t want to look ahead to 2023, let’s take a peek at the defense heading into next season and why it might be wise to give extended looks to some of the younger players on that side of the ball.
Already armed with the highest-paid defense in the NFL this season, the Steelers could repeat as the top spenders in 2023. According to spotrac.com, the Steelers have $124.6 million allocated to 17 players next year. Only the Los Angeles Chargers, at $125.6 million for 16 players, rank higher at this stage of the season.
That doesn’t count the players ready to hit free agency in March. On the defensive line, that includes Larry Ogunjobi, Wormley and Tyson Alualu. At inside linebacker, the unrestricted free agents include Devin Bush and Robert Spillane, and Jack carries an $11.25 million cap hit that could make him a roster casualty. In the secondary, cornerback Cameron Sutton and safeties Terrell Edmunds and Damontae Kazee will be free agents.
With so many potential departures, the Steelers could benefit from taking a longer look at some of the players they have added in recent years via the draft or as undrafted free agents. And given the injuries on defense, they could do so under the guise of playing for this year.
Here is a look at the positions impacted the most:
Defensive line
Cam Heyward is the only established starter on the exterior of the line who is signed for next season. Montravius Adams is the only experienced nose tackle with a contract. That makes it paramount for the Steelers to take an extended look at their two young ends.
Leal’s arrival as a third-round pick led to a spot on the game-day roster from the outset. His role expanded after outside linebacker’s T.J. Watt’s pectoral injury, with Leal getting snaps as an edge rusher.
Leal’s playing time increased to the point that he was playing about 40% of the defensive snaps until he suffered a torn meniscus in Week 5 against Buffalo. He returned in Week 13 against Atlanta and slowly has been reintroduced to the defense, playing about 14% of the snaps the past two weeks. With Wormley out, his snap counts should rise.
Leal’s arrival, though, came at a price for Loudermilk, who was a game-day inactive for the first five weeks of the season. Since then, the 2021 fifth-round pick has started three games and played in seven of the past eight. His playing time also figures to increase with Wormley out for the season.
Inside linebacker
Robinson was one of the darlings in training camp. The converted running back attracted attention for being around the football and his aggressive approach to tackling.
Then came the regular season. Robinson has been active just once, and that was Week 6 against Tampa Bay when he was limited to five special teams snaps. The seventh-round pick could benefit from getting some on-the-job training down the stretch.
Cornerback
Pierre isn’t exactly young or inexperienced. The former undrafted free agent arrived in 2020, hasn’t missed a game in three seasons and has started six games in his career, including two this year.
Pierre has emerged as an option on the outside when the Steelers move Sutton to the slot when they go to the nickel and dime schemes. Since Pierre will be a restricted free agent, the Steelers can continue to give him playing time while deciding whether to offer him a contract for 2023.
Safety
Norwood, a seventh-round pick in 2021, has disappeared from the defensive gameplan in recent weeks. After playing nearly every defensive snap in games against Buffalo and Tampa Bay, Norwood has logged 21 snaps since and none in the past five games. This can be attributed to the return of Kazee from injured reserve and the reliance on bigger personnel sub-packages.
Norwood continues to play a role on special teams, but he likely would need an injury to one of the players ahead of him on the depth chart to resurface on defense this season.