Steelers' Preston Smith: Production falls off in 2024
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Smith tallied 32 total tackles (12 solo), including 4.5 sacks, over 17 regular-season games with the Packers and Steelers in 2024.
Smith was traded from the Packers to the Steelers in early November, but he was actually more productive during his time in Green Bay. The veteran pass rusher recorded six more tackles and 0.5 more sacks as a Packer, playing 138 additional defensive snaps despite appearing in only one more game. Smith's time in Pittsburgh may also be nearing an end, as he was a healthy scratch in two of the team's final three games this season. However, Smith remains under contract through 2026, so he could very well stay in Pittsburgh and serve as a rotational edge rusher next season.
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Steelers' Cameron Sutton: Starts two games in 2024
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Sutton made 15 tackles (seven solo) and three passes defensed across nine regular-season appearances (two starts) with the Steelers in 2024.
Sutton opened the 2024 campaign serving an eight-game suspension, relating to an incident last March in which he was charged with one misdemeanor count of domestic battery. Once eligible to retake the field, Sutton mostly contributed in a depth role for Pittsburgh, though down the stretch he took over a key role at slot cornerback. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Steelers' Cory Trice: Makes six appearances in 2024
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Trice racked up 21 tackles (15 solo) and two passes defensed, including one interception, across six regular-season appearances with the Steelers in 2024.
Trice, a 2023 seventh-round pick, started Pittsburgh's final three games of the regular season, but he was then inactive for the team's wild-card round loss to the Ravens. This offseason, Trice will compete to earn a larger rotational role on defense, while continuing to operate as a contributor on special teams.
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Steelers' Nick Herbig: Posts 5.5 sacks in sophomore season
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Herbig registered 22 tackles, including 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles over 13 regular-season games in 2024.
Herbig missed four contests due to a hamstring injury and logged more than half of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps in just five of the games in which he played, but he was very impactful when on the field. The second-year edge finished fourth on the Steelers with 5.5 sacks and second with four forced fumbles despite fluctuating opportunities. Herbig seems like a candidate to break out in 2025 in what will be the third year of his rookie contract, though that possibility could depend on whether Pittsburgh puts him on the field more often.
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Steelers' James Pierre: Holds rotational role in 2024
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Pierre recorded 23 tackles (17 solo), three pass defenses (including an interception) and two forced fumbles over 15 regular-season games in 2024.
Pierre recorded more snaps on special teams than on defense, though he did make two starts for the Steelers. The veteran cornerback got far more defensive snaps (196) than in the season prior, when he logged just 23. Pierre is set to be a free agent, and though he's valued by the Steelers for his role as a core special-teamer, he's not certain to be back with the team next season.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Sees reduced role in 2024
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Kazee finished the 2024 regular season with 31 tackles (22 solo) and two pass defenses, including an interception, over 15 games.
Kazee started just one game this season after working mostly as a starter last year. Predictably, his numbers plummeted, though he still managed to record a pickoff for the fourth straight campaign. Kazee is set to become a free agent, and though he's been steady regardless of his role while with Pittsburgh, it's unclear if he'll be back with the Steelers next season.
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Steelers' Keeanu Benton: Logs more snaps in second season
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Benton finished the 2024 regular season with 36 tackles (16 solo), including 1.0 sacks, along with six defensed passes (one of which was an interception) and one fumble recovery over 17 contests.
Benton has yet to miss a game in his two-year NFL career. He was on the field more often this season than in his rookie campaign -- last year, he logged more than 50 percent of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps four times, while this season that number shot up to 13. However, Benton produced the exact same number of tackles and sacks, though he did boost his tally of pass defenses by four. His numbers aren't appealing in IDP leagues, but Benton has shown promise in his first two pro seasons and should maintain a steady role along Pittsburgh's defensive line in the third year of his rookie contract next season.
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Steelers' Donte Jackson: Sets career high in INTs in 2024
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Jackson registered 38 tackles (28 solo) and eight pass defenses, including five interceptions, over 15 games during the 2024 regular season.
Jackson's first year in Pittsburgh following six seasons with Carolina was overall a success, as he paced the team with five pickoffs, which was also his career-best mark. The LSU product mostly avoided injuries, though he did miss two games near the end of the campaign with a back issue. Jackson was playing on a one-year contract and will be a free agent this offseason.
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Steelers' Larry Ogunjobi: Remains consistent in 2024
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Ogunjobi posted 41 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, over 15 regular-season contests during the 2024 campaign.
Ogunjobi missed two games due to a groin injury late in the campaign but otherwise maintained a steady role along the Steelers' defensive line. He's finished with a tackle total in the 40s in five straight seasons and has logged between 1.5 and 3.0 sacks in all but one of those campaigns. Ogunjobi doesn't produce numbers that make him worthy of IDP consideration, but he's been a steady performer and will likely maintain the same role in 2025, when he'll be in the final year of the three-year deal he inked in 2023.
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Steelers' Beanie Bishop: Makes big impact as rookie
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Bishop tallied 45 tackles, including 0.5 sacks, along with seven pass defenses (four of which were interceptions) and one fumble recovery over 17 regular-season games in 2024.
Though Bishop had his share of struggles, it was impressive that he played in all 17 regular-season games given that he wasn't selected in April's NFL Draft. The West Virginia product notched three pickoffs during a two-week span in late October, and his four total INTs tied for second on the team. Bishop did see his playing time wane at the end of the campaign and into the playoffs, but he likely showed enough as a rookie to be given a chance to grow in Year 2.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Deals with injuries in 2024
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Highsmith finished the 2024 regular season with 45 tackles, including 6.0 sacks, along with two pass defenses and a forced fumble in 11 contests.
While Highsmith had one less sack than in 2023, his total came in six fewer games. The veteran linebacker missed time with injuries to both his groin and ankle, but when active he was a key contributor for Pittsburgh's defense. Highsmith should remain in that role next season in what will be the second year of the four-year extension he signed last July.
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Steelers' Elandon Roberts: Sees drop in output in 2024
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Roberts recorded 46 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, along with one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games during the 2024 campaign.
Roberts entered the season having registered back-to-back seasons of more than 100 stops, but he didn't get even halfway to that mark in 2024 despite playing in all 17 of Pittsburgh's regular-season contests. Part of the reason was less playing time, but the veteran linebacker still played on more than 457 defensive snaps during the campaign after logging 557 last year. Roberts did come up big in the postseason with 14 stops in a wild-card loss to Baltimore. Despite the statistical decrease in 2024, Roberts was still one of the Steelers' better run-stoppers, and there's a chance he could be back with the team next year despite being a free agent this offseason.
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Steelers' T.J. Watt: Dominant again in 2024
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Watt produced 61 tackles, including 11.5 sacks, along with four defensed passes, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over 17 games during the regular season.
Watt's sack total wasn't quite as impressive as in the year prior, when he logged 19.0 sacks, but he still led the Steelers in that category and tied for eighth in the NFL. In addition, the veteran pass rusher led the league with six forced fumbles, his highest mark since the 2019 season. In 2025, Watt will be in the final year of the four-year contract he inked in 2021, though there will almost certainly be extension discussions between him and the team during the offseason.
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Steelers' Joey Porter: Maintains big role in second season
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Porter totaled 70 tackles (53 solo) and seven pass defenses, including an interception, over 16 regular-season contests in 2024.
Porter solidified a starting role in his second year as a pro, playing at least 95 percent of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps in 15 of his 16 games, with the exception being a Week 16 loss to Baltimore during which he suffered a calf injury. The Penn State product improved upon his rookie numbers in tackles but had three fewer defensed passes. Porter should enter 2025 as a locked-in starter in what will be the third year of his rookie contract.
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Steelers' Cameron Heyward: Bounces back with strong 2024
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Heyward posted 71 tackles, including 8.0 sacks, along with 11 pass defenses in 17 games during the regular season.
Heyward played in only 11 regular-season contests in 2023 and logged just 2.0 sacks, leading some to wonder how much he had left in the tank. The veteran defensive end showed this season that he still has fuel to burn, as he ranked second on the Steelers with 8.0 sacks and led the team with a career-high 11 defensed passes. Heyward was also productive in Pittsburgh's lone playoff game, recording a season-high 10 tackles. He signed a two-year contract extension in September that could set him up to retire as a Steeler.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Plays big role in rookie campaign
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Wilson tallied 78 tackles (49 solo), two pass defenses (including an interception), a forced fumble and two recovered fumbles -- one of which he returned for a touchdown -- over 17 games during the 2024 regular season.
After being selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the NFL Draft, Wilson played in all 17 regular-season games for the team and was a key component of a three-player rotation at inside linebacker. He had two games with double-digit stops, and his biggest highlight may have been a fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 13 against Cincinnati. Given his strong first campaign in the NFL, Wilson appears set to be key part of the Steelers' defense for at least the next few years.
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Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick: Workhorse in 2024
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Fitzpatrick played in all 17 regular-season games in 2024 and finished with 96 tackles (62 solo), four pass defenses (including one interception) and one forced fumble.
Fitzpatrick missed seven of the final 10 games of the 2023 regular season due to knee and hand injuries, but the veteran safety was able to avoid injury in 2024 while playing every single snap in 14 of 17 games in 2024. He was four tackles shy from registering the second 100-tackle season of his seven-year NFL career and finished on the Steelers in that category behind Patrick Queen (129) and DeShon Elliott (108). Fitzpatrick has two years left on his four-year, $73.6 million contract that he signed in June of 2022.
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Steelers' Patrick Queen: Logs 129 tackles in 2024
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Queen finished the 2024 season with 129 tackles (65 solo), including 1.0 sacks, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 17 regular-season games with Pittsburgh.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with Baltimore, Queen signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the division-rival Steelers last offseason and went on to start all 17 regular-season contests. Queen has yet to miss a game or a start since entering the NFL in 2020, a streak that has spanned 84 contests. Queen's 129 tackles marked the second-highest single-season total of his career. Queen is signed through the 2026 campaign.
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Steelers' Preston Smith: Inactive for wild-card round
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Smith (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's wild-card game against the Ravens, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Smith was acquired by the Steelers from the Packers in early November, and across eight regular-season games he posted 13 tackles (six solo), including 2.0 sacks. However, the veteran edge rusher will be sidelined for Saturday's contest, which means Nick Herbig and Jeremiah Moon will serve as the backups behind starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
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Steelers' Cory Trice: Not playing vs. Baltimore
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Trice (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's wild-card game against the Ravens, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Trice played a season-high 67 defensive snaps against the Bengals in Week 18 and tallied 11 tackles (seven solo) in the process. However, the 2023 seventh-round pick will observe Saturday's playoff game in street clothes. James Pierre will serve as the Steelers' main backup at outside corner behind starters Donte Jackson and Joey Porter.
