The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking ahead to their 2024 campaign and seeking to avoid the kind of linebacker quandary they found themselves in with an injury-filled 2023 season. After the Baltimore Ravens cut linebacker Jeremiah Moon on Thursday, the Steelers didn't waste much time adding him to their roster. While the move is a quiet and small one early in the 2024 offseason, if there is any position outside of quarterback that the Steelers should be focused on, it's at linebacker.
Steelers Claim Former Ravens' Linebacker
With star tight end Mark Andrews finally healthy, Baltimore cut Moon in order to make space for Andrews with the AFC Championship game right around the corner. One team's cut is another's gain, and Pittsburgh claimed Moon on Friday.
The Ravens saw most of Moon's 2023 production happen on special teams, where he played 142 snaps compared to the 99 he was on defense. Despite not being selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, Moon was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Ravens and spent the 2022 season on their practice squad. 2023 was the first time Moon got to showcase what he could do when it counted in an NFL game, and it was enough to catch the Steelers' attention.
Considering the history that is inherent in the Pittsburgh linebacker position, this is a huge chance for Moon. With a full offseason ahead to acclimate to his new surroundings, 2024 could be the season where Moon finally proves what Baltimore originally saw in him.
Steelers Hoping Moon Brings Availability
Moon will be joining a linebacker group that includes Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb, who both suffered season-ending injuries during 2023. After a 2022 season where linebacker play was an embarrassingly weak point, Pittsburgh rebuilt the position room during the 2023 offseason. It wasn't talent or ability that was the main issue for the Steelers at linebacker; it was availability.
Elandon Roberts, Pittsburgh's defensive general and wearer of the green dot, struggled to stay on the field as well and often played through injuries. It got to a point during the 2023 season where the Steelers were barely able to put a group of prepared linebackers onto the field. That was certainly on their mind when they saw Baltimore cut Moon, and the willingness to prove himself through special teams didn't hurt either.
While Moon will probably be asked to contribute on special teams, at least at first, there is no doubt that if he sees the field on defense, it will be because he earned it. If that moment does come, all the Steelers ask is that he stays healthy and does his job. If that can happen, it's already a significant step up from where they were in 2023.
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