A veteran pass rusher for the Pittsburgh Steelers has decided to retire before the start of the 2024 regular season. The Steelers are set to play their first preseason game on Friday night against the Houston Texans.
The Steelers have a loaded front seven, including Larry Ogunjobi, Cameron Hayward, T.J. Watt, and Patrick Queen. Those names can generate a potent pass rush.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed pass-rushing help in training camp
As previously discussed on GH, the Steelers added more help for the pass rush on Aug. 1 when they signed veteran pass rusher Markus Golden.
Golden was set to enter his tenth season in the league and signed with the Steelers last year. He made 20 total tackles, six for a loss, and four sacks with the Steelers last season. He played in 16 total games.
Markus Golden was looking forward to competing
As previously discussed on GH, Golden said last year that he loved to compete:
“I just love to compete,” Golden said. “When you have been playing something since you were a kid, if you really love it like you did as a kid, it never leaves. That’s how I look at it. I have been loving ball since I was a kid, being able to play it now as a man, I still have that same feeling in my heart.”
Golden is set to retire
According to a statement by the Steelers, the team placed Golden on the reserve/retired list:
In nine seasons, Golden has played in 127 games, starting 68 of them. He has a total of 343 career tackles, 51 sacks, and 68 tackles for a loss. He has 11 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries, one returned for a touchdown.
Before joining the Steelers, Golden spent part of three years with the Arizona Cardinals, the team that originally selected him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Golden was traded to the Cardinals by the Giants during the 2020 season, playing in seven games for New York, with one start, and nine with the Cardinals, starting eight of them.
Golden would have provided important depth for the defense this season. Now that Golden has retired, we’ll see if the Steelers front office tries to sign another veteran pass rusher.
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