Steelers Hall of Famer Rod Woodson Detailed What's Wrong With Teryl Austin's Defensive Scheme

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense picked up right where they left off in the 2024 season, but now in the 2025 season. That was a big fear for Steelers fans and now it’s come to light. The Steelers' defense allowed the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks to basically do whatever they wanted in Week 1 and Week 2. Instead of being the dominant and physical unit fans have grown to expect, the defense looked flat and unprepared, giving up explosive plays through the air and struggling to contain the run. For a group that is supposed to set the tone for the team, the early results have been alarming.

Now this Steelers defense needs to get fixed fast as many believe it is far too talented and far too highly compensated for this kind of failure. The Steelers currently have one of the most expensive defensive units in the NFL with stars like TJ Watt, Patrick Queen, Jalen Ramsey, and Cam Heyward anchoring the group. Yet despite that firepower, the cohesion is missing. Missed assignments, poor tackling, and lack of discipline have turned what should be a strength into the biggest question mark of the season. If these issues are not corrected quickly, Pittsburgh risks digging themselves into an early season hole that could be difficult to climb out of in a competitive AFC.

Steelers Hall of Famer Rod Woodson joined Kay Adams on her show Up & Adams on Thursday to detail what he thinks the issues are with this defense. Woodson pointed to communication breakdowns and an apparent lack of urgency, saying the Steelers are too often reacting rather than dictating the pace. 

"Teryl Austin has to figure out what they have," Woodson said Thursday on Up and Adams with Kay Adams. "They went all-in. You bring in Big Play [Darius] Slay, you bring in [Jalen] Ramsey, you bring in those players, but how do they fit together? Right now, they're not playing great football. You've gotta hope Teryl Austin figures out what they like to do."

He emphasized that talent alone does not win games, it requires accountability, leadership, and consistent execution. Coming from a player who once defined Steelers excellence, his words carried weight. 

Steelers' Rod Woodson Wants Teryl Austin To Simplify This Defense

For Tomlin and Austin, the message is clear: fix the defense now or this season could unravel quickly. Woodson has faith in the talent, but it sounds like he's not certain Austin can fix this defense.

"The rules that they have has got to be simplified for the players on the back end," Woodson said. "I think they've got the tools there. They've just got to make sure they have the right rules in their coverage, and then everybody's talking through those rules, pre-snap, post-snap. They have the skill set, but sometimes, they don't put their players in the best positions to make the plays that they have to make week in and week out."

Woodson is calling on Austin to make things simpler in the secondary. He believes the talent is there, but that alone is not enough. The defense has to adjust during the game, communicate effectively, and fix issues in real time. 

The most upsetting and concerning problem is that fans are watching this Steelers defense get beaten the same exact way week after week. It needs to be corrected immediately, and right now it sounds like Austin has become the new Matt Canada in the Steel City.

Do you agree with Rod Woodson's analysis of what exactly is wrong with this Steelers' defense? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.

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