The Pittsburgh Steelers have remained largely competitive through 16 weeks of NFL football. They have posted a winning record, albeit at 8-7, and remains in contention for a playoff spot despite their slim chances of making it. The biggest reason for that is their defense.
The Steelers’ offense has been horrible, to say the least. A team with just 257 points scored and 24 total touchdowns just won’t cut it at the highest level. Fortunately, the Pittsburgh defense continue to be solid, allowing just 291 points scored so far–which is among the best in the NFL.
Pittsburgh’s run defense stands out, having just allowed eight rushing touchdowns compared to the 21 passing TDs they have given up.
Sure, some might say that they could focus on improving their offense in free agency, but it’s hard to overlook a potential target that could help them build sustainability. As Bleacher Report noted in its recent free agency suggestions for all NFL teams, the Steelers could look to sign Buffalo Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to add that much-needed veteran presence for their youngsters.
“DaQuan Jones has been quiet this season because of an injury that put him on injured reserve after just five games. However, the Bills have opened up his practice window so his recovery is well ahead of schedule to play in 2024. The run-stuffing defensive tackle had 2.5 sacks in his five games before the injury and has a relatively clean bill of health outside of the pectoral injury this year,” the BR report explained on why Pittsburgh could use someone like Jones.
“The Steelers have some young interior defenders who should step up next season, but they will still need some veteran reinforcements.”
DaQuan Jones is projected by PFF to get a fully-guaranteed one-year contract worth $6 million. And considering what he has done in his Buffalo Bills career so far, he could very well be a nice pick-up for the Pittsburgh Steelers if they are able to land him.
More Questions for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024
Aside from what they’ll do with their roster, however, there is one big question the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to answer: What are they going to do with head coach Mike Tomlin?
Tomlin’s job status has been a major talking point this 2023 season. Amid the inconsistent and often frustrating performance of the Steelers, many fans have urged for the top brass to move on from the veteran head coach.
However, there have been conflicting reports on what will happen to Tomlin. Several reports have been linking him to other head coaching jobs. Naturally, if Pittsburgh lets him go, he’ll be one of the top candidates for other teams considering how popular he is to players.
On the other hand, though, there have been rumors about the Steelers extending him as well.
Perhaps before Pittsburgh makes a roster move in the offseason, they will have to deal with their coaching issue first to make sure they are on the right track.
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