Steelers faced with adding pieces to defense that again could be NFL's highest paid in 2023

The way the Pittsburgh Steelers defense finished the season, it provided justification for all of the money earmarked to that side of the football.

Heralded as the highest-paid defense in the NFL, the Steelers got some bang for their buck in the second half when a 7-2 finish and four consecutive wins to close the season nearly resulted in another playoff berth.

Consider that:

• None of the final seven opponents topped 17 points in a game.

• Led by team MVP and All-Pro pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers topped the NFL with 20 interceptions.

• After finishing dead last at stopping the run, the Steelers vaulted into the top 10 and finished ninth.

• The Steelers tied for No. 10 in points allowed after finishing No. 20 in 2021, and they improved from No. 24 to No. 13 in yards allowed.

“I think we were starting to play some really good football in all phases,” outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “I think on defense we were starting to really get that splash. We were able to stop the run and make teams one-dimensional and able to get after the quarterback.”

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Imagine what might have transpired had the Steelers put together the same type of complementary football in the first half when they were unable to atone for Watt’s pectoral tear he suffered in the season opener.

The secondary was torched repeatedly by Buffalo in a 38-3 loss and again by Philadelphia in a 35-13 setback that dropped the Steelers’ record to 2-6 at the bye. There also was an inability to stop the run in the fourth quarter against New England and a blown 10-point fourth quarter lead against the New York Jets — early losses that took place on the home sod of Acrisure Stadium.

A poor showing in the first quarter against Miami also contributed to a loss that haunted the Steelers when the Dolphins edged them for the No. 7 playoff seed despite losing five of their final six games.

“No one wants to start slow,” Watt said. “We always want to start fast. We were a young team this year. It will be nice to be able to keep a good core group of guys here. You never know who is going to be back, who’s not, but we are very confident with the guys in this locker room. We’ve been through so many ups and downs throughout the season, and no one gave up.”

Coach Mike Tomlin said he his postseason analysis will involve exploring the slow start on defense as well as an offense that had to replace franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The defense, as Tomlin was fond of saying, was the “senior” unit on the roster with Cameron Heyward, Watt and Fitzpatrick leading the way, and, in theory, should have been immune to an early-season adjustment. Then again, the defense also dealt with a change in coordinators, with Teryl Austin replacing Keith Butler.

For the second year in a row, the Steelers had a losing streak of at least three games that began in September and carried into October. Watt’s absence for seven games — the Steelers went 1-6 in that stretch — was apparent.

“There’s going to be a start to next season, and so if the start was not what you liked or wanted, you’d better evaluate that,” Tomlin said. “I’ll evaluate the season in totality. I’ll evaluate components of the season, team development, how we manage the team through the season from a physical work standpoint, from an intellectual work standpoint, the rate at which we introduce schematic things, growth and development.”

The Steelers added pieces at all three levels last year in free agency, bringing in defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, inside linebacker Myles Jack and cornerback Levi Wallace while re-signing strong safety Terrell Edmunds.

Wallace, who replaced Ahkello Witherspoon as a starter, has one year left on his deal as does Jack, whose cap hit in 2023 will be an unwieldy $11.25 million. The Steelers also must contend with the possible departures of cornerback Cameron Sutton, safety Damontae Kazee and inside linebacker Robert Spillane in addition to Edmunds and Ogunjobi.

“I would love to come back and keep the same team,” Jack said. “But you know how the NFL is. You never know what is going to happen.”

Factoring in a likely contract extension for outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who finished sixth in the NFL with 14.5 sacks, and the Steelers again could field the league’s highest-paid defense. Consider that, according to spotrac.com, the Steelers already have a league-high $131 million allocated to 24 defensive players.

“We have something to build on into the future, but the teams are going through the same things every year,” Heyward said. “Guys move on, guys retire, guys get traded, you bring in new guys. It’s a different formula every year.”

If the Steelers can navigate through nearly $70 million in cap dollars going to three players — Watt ($29.3 million), Heyward ($22.2 million) and Fitzpatrick ($18 million) — they can perhaps supplement with enough of their own free agents to make change minimal on defense. Omar Khan reworked contracts to keep finances in order before he was promoted to general manager, and he’ll have another challenge on his hands this offseason.

Watt, for one, believes the foundation is set for the defense to pick up in 2023 where it left off in 2022. DeMarvin Leal and Mark Robinson made contributions as rookies, and Isaiahh Loudermilk will be entering his third season.

“We have a good mix of young guys who want to work and old guys who want to show the way,” he said. “I think that’s very key to what we want to build here as Pittsburgh Steelers. … I’ll keep saying it on repeat: I feel very confident in the young, old, whoever’s in that locker room, players and coaches.”

Heyward, the senior member of the locker room who turns 34 in May, is on board, too.

“I ask that we all continue to keep growing, use this as a springboard,” he said. “Everybody in this locker room be a little better next year, myself included.”