5 Pittsburgh Steelers impending free agents who need to be brought back

4. OLB Markus Golden played well in TJ Watt's absence

Teryl Austin is back as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator, although his unit drew mixed reviews in 2023. Stopping the run was an issue once again, although the numerous injuries to an older front seven were a factor.

There were some positive numbers when it came to the Steelers’ defense, despite the fact that Mike Tomlin’s club was the only one of the four playoff teams to give up more points (324) than they scored (304). Only five teams in the league allowed more points than Pittsburgh and the club came up with 27 takeaways and 47 sacks. However, Austin’s unit still didn’t look the part at times, and that remains a concern heading into this offseason.

Markus Golden was one of those older defenders who general manager Omar Khan signed, He has been a steady force during his various stops around the league, and provided experienced depth behind standouts T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. He played in 16 games and finished with 20 tackles and a fumble recovery. He was also ranked third on the team in behind Watt and Highsmith, respectively, in sacks (4.0) and quarterback hits (10). The nine-year veteran totaled three stops and a sack of Josh Allen in the playoff loss at Buffalo.