Steelers already have reason to be concerned about their revamped defense

For as much of the focus around the Pittsburgh Steelers is their offensive identity, it's the defense that's actually under the most pressure. The Steelers' "all-in" approach this offseason will also be judged by how the defense performs above all else. 

Some may feel the Steelers will only go as far as Aaron Rodgers takes them, and that's true to an extent, but it's the defense that will have step up for a quarterback upgrade to even matter. One game into the 2025 season, there's plenty of reasons to be concerned if the defense can step up. 

Defensive concerns from Week 1 

A win is a win in the NFL, and the Steelers are 1-0 after taking out the New York Jets in a bizarre shootout-style game, 34-32, in Week 1. Despite losing the game, the Jets outperformed the Steelers in most categories, often indicators of which team ends up victorious. 

The Jets posted more total yards (394 to 271), won time of possession (34:43 to 25:17) and had more first downs (24 to 19). The Steelers gave up more third-down conversions and even a successful fourth-down attempt than their counterpart. 

Will offseason moves pay off? 

The Steelers defense hasn't been as imposing at it once was, but it did rank inside the top 15 in multiple categories, most notably No. 12 in yards allowed in 2024. With pressure to improve upon those rankings, the Steelers took some uncharacteristic big swings that may or may not pay off. 

It was simply a rough showing for a revamped unit that is full of individual star power. In addition to awarding T.J. Watt a massive new contract and eventually caving into Cam Heyward's demands for more money, the Steelers added former Pro Bowlers in Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay to the secondary.