The Pittsburgh Steelers have been making a lot of moves after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada earlier today but they strengthened their defensive unit as well. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran linebacker Blake Martinez off the Carolina Panthers practice squad.
Steelers are signing veteran NFL LB Blake Martinez off the Panthers’ practice squad and on to their 53-man roster, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 21, 2023
Blake Martinez has not played this season after retiring following the 2022 regular season and was later involved in a Pokemon card scandal. He was signed to the Panthers practice squad a few weeks ago but was never elevated. However, he will be on the 53-man roster for the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals this week.
Martinez has recorded 706 total tackles throughout his career and 13 sacks since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. He played for the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders before calling it quits.
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers make the playoffs?
With all the discussion surrounding the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, it is being overlooked how the team is currently the seventh seed in the AFC with a 6-4 record. Adding another defensive player is going to continue making this team a huge threat and needs to carry the team going forward.
Their schedule for the remainder of the regular season is not too tough to envision 10+ wins and that should be enough. Below is their remaining schedule:
- Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 13: vs Arizona Cardinals
- Week 14: vs New England Patriots
- Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts
- Week 16: vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 17: at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 18: at Baltimore Ravens
This is a pretty simple schedule as only the final two games are against teams currently in the playoffs. Even at Week 18, the Ravens could be resting depending on how the remainder of the AFC falls. This Steelers team should continue to dominate on the defensive end while being able to move more freely on the offensive end with the departure of Matt Canada.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the driver’s seat as they have a simple schedule and are only a few wins away from having another season above .500 as coach Mike Tomlin seems to hit that mark every single season.
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