The Pittsburgh Steelers finally got all their infinity stones this offseason, agreeing to terms on a contract extension with T.J. Watt. With Watt now locked down long term, the Steelers now have their defense set in stone. The foursome of Watt, Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey and Cam Heyward has a ton of talent, but it’s also not the youngest group. That’s a big concern for former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum.
“If we asked ourself in an honest and silver way, is it reasonable for those four players [Watt, Heyward, Ramsey and Slay] to all play in 17 games? Age, data and stats would tell us it’s a 50/50 proposition, at best. That would be my concern on this Steelers defense. Because of the age, can they do it for 17 games, against two teams [Ravens, Bengals] that we know can score, with quarterbacks that are in their prime,” Tannenbaum said Friday on ESPN’s Get Up.
Age certainly could be an issue. But with these four players, it might not be as huge of a concern.
Starting with Darius Slay, who’s 34. He is probably the most reasonable player out the four to be concerned about related to age. Especially with recent reports suggesting he may be dealing with a knee injury. However, he still played in 14 regular-season games and the playoffs last year while playing at a high level. Slay gave up a completion rate of 54.7 percent and a passer rating of 81.9 when targeted last year. Each are some of the best numbers he’s posted in his career.
Aside from Slay, there doesn’t seem to be a huge concern with age on the Steelers’ defense going forward. Some might be worried about Cam Heyward, which is rational since he’s now 36 years old. However, on the heels of a contract extension last offseason, he turned in an excellent season. Having a rookie alongside him in Derrick Harmon should take some pressure off him as well.
With Ramsey, how he fares the rest of his career may have more to do with the position he’s playing. Now in his 30s, some wonder whether moving to safety might suit him best, especially after the Steelers traded Minkah Fitzpatrick in order to get him. What we do know is that Ramsey played well as a corner last year, and has yet to show any signs of slowing down.
Finally, with Watt, age is something the Steelers clearly aren’t concerned about after making him the highest-paid non-quarterback ever. Watt saw a decrease in sacks last year. Yet, he was still able to force turnovers like usual and was terrific against the run.
All things considered, the difference between the Steelers’ defense and offense reflects where the organization is right now. Defensively, the Steelers are all in. They’ve got the stars and a defense capable of making one more run before their core players start to decline. Offensively, they’re still young and growing, with youth on the line and at receiver and running back. Of course, the defense has to stay healthy for the Steelers to make a serious run. It seems like they’re plenty capable of doing that, in 2025 at least.
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