Steelers’ Defense Victim Of Harsh Comments From Seahawks Great Richard Sherman

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been shy about investing in the defensive side of the ball in recent years. Cameron Heyward, TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick have all been rewarded with big contracts, while the supporting cast around the trio haven't done too bad for themselves, either. Larry Ogunjobi makes great money, and most recently, Patrick Queen signed the largest free agent contract in the team's history. Youth has been injected into the unit recently with Joey Porter Jr. and rookie insider linebacker Payton Wilson, but not everyone is buying into the fact that Teryl Austin's group will be able to handle good offenses in 2024.

The Steelers arguably have the toughest schedule in the entire NFL in 2024. A brutal stretch in the final eight weeks of the season has been emphasized, but it's not entirely easy early on either. In Week 5, Pittsburgh will host the Dallas Cowboys for a Sunday Night Football matchup. The NFC foe is expected to have a strong offense backed by quarterback Dak Prescott.

Recently, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman released an episode of his podcast: The Richard Sherman Podcast. He was going through certain teams' schedules and came across the Cowboys playing the Steelers in Week 5. The one-time Super Bowl champion took a shot at Pittsburgh's defense, insinuating that Heyward and co. are a bit older, or as he put it, worn down.

"The Pittsburgh game. I got [Dallas] winning that game. I think Pittsburgh defensively has gotten a little beat up, a little worn down," Sherman said.

He didn't stop there when throwing shade towards the Steelers' defense. Sherman believes that Pittsburgh's defensive unit can be taken advantage of in certain areas. There are definitely some improvements that could be made.

"I think there's some weakness that could be exposed on that defense," Sherman stated.

The defensive line has certainly aged a bit in recent years, but young guys such as Keeanu Benton and now, Logan Lee, will look to rejuvenate the group. Heyward could still be given another contract extension and wasn't fully healthy in 2023. It's hard to say he is part of the worn down crew when he didn't play at 100% for pretty much the entire 2023 campaign.

The Steelers' defense has several tall tasks ahead in the 2024 season. Pittsburgh doesn't just have the Cowboys, but the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs along with six contests against AFC North rivals. All teams are expected to have dynamic offenses which could present a problem for Austin and co.

One of the main keys to keeping an older group at the top of its game is, of course, staying healthy, but being able to rely on fresh legs at each position will allow the older crowd to take a breather or two when it might be needed. It certainly is encouraging that Heyward has stated he wants to continue playing past the 2024 campaign. Players know their bodies better than anyone else, which creates optimism that he knows he is fully recovered from his former ailments.

Steelers Must Get Off To Fast Start In 2024

There's no doubt that Pittsburgh's schedule is much easier during the first half of the season. Entering November with less than five wins is a recipe for disaster and it will be nearly impossible to finish strong as the squad did in 2023. Young defenders will need to step up, but Sherman's disrespect for the current group is something that could have been left unsaid.

Do you think that the Steelers' defense is worn down entering 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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