What to expect from the Steelers pass rush

By: Jake Rajala

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most glorified pass rushers in the league in T.J. Watt. He recorded 19 sacks, 36 quarterback hits, and 13 tackles for loss in 2023. He took a bit of a step back last season – as he notched 11.5 sacks, 27 QB hits, and 19 TFLs.

Watt isn’t the only fearsome pass rusher on the Steelers. They have Cameron Heyward, who scooped up eight sacks, 20 QB hits, and 12 TFLs a season ago.

Clearly, it would seem that the Steelers have one of the best pass rushes in the league. Well, not quite. The Steelers ranked 20th in sacks last season. Ouch.

So, should we expect the Steelers to be a middle-of-the-pack pass rushes in 2024? I honestly don’t have a lot of hope in the Steelers pass rush.

Even when Watt unveiled 19 sacks, they ranked 11th in sacks. I expect Watt to get somewhere around 15 sacks. I don’t expect him to unleash 22.5 sacks. Heyward is also 35 years old. I believe he will soon hit a bit of a wall, just as Cameron Jordan, Von Miller, and Brandon Graham did.

I would love to see them acquire Calais Campbell. He may not get double digit sacks, but he would help Heyward and Watt be successful – as they can’t all be doubled team.

I don’t believe they have built up a quality pass rush to have success against the explosive Cincinnati Bengals offense and the well-oiled machine in the Baltimore Ravens offense. The Steelers only recorded one sack against the Ravens in their second showdown – after unveiling two sacks in their first battle.

The Steelers need to turn the clock back and have a defense they had under Dick Labeau. They could really hunt the QB. I expect Watt to play for 3-4 more seasons. I’d love to see them get an interior DL that can exploit single-teams and create opportunities for other DL, such as Jalen Carter and Bryan Bresee.