Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Questions 'What Are We Doing' With This Expensive Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense was seriously expected to be one of the best units in the league in the 2025 season. Most of this is because of the large paycheck that this group collectively receives, stacked with stars like TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Patrick Queen, and Jalen Ramsey anchoring nearly every level of the field. 

On paper, Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin and Head Coach Mike Tomlin should have one of the most dominant groups in football. However, for several seasons now, the Steelers' defense has struggled with consistency. While it has produced big moments and helped the team win games, it has not delivered as the reliable strength that many expected. Allowing 394 yards of total offense to the New York Jets in a game is unacceptable when the defense has this much talent in the eyes of many fans.

Ben Roethlisberger used his Footbahlin podcast to share his thoughts on the performance, and his reaction spoke to the frustration many Steelers fans feel. Watching a defense led by Watt, Queen, and Ramsey get pushed around by an opposing offense is hard to understand. These are players who were brought in or retained with the expectation of lifting the unit into elite territory, yet the group has shown the same issues that have lingered for years. The lack of control at the line of scrimmage and the inability to stop drives early put the team in a difficult position from the very start.

"They came out and just ran the ball right down our throats," Roethlisberger said while speaking on his Footbahlin podcast. "It was not like it was these tough yards. It looked like there were just holes. Now it does benefit your run game to have a running quarterback because you could run the read option and that is how you neutralize an end… you have to respect the quarterback."

Justin Fields looked as sharp as he ever has against this Steelers defense. 

Roethlisberger admitted that during the first half he was becoming very concerned about the way the defense was playing.

"Early on, I was thinking to myself, like, oh my goodness," Roethlisberger said. "The first series, I was like, let’s let them just get their legs and get used to it, but it just kept happening. At one point, the Jets scored on all four or five possessions in the first half. What are we doing here? We paid this defense a lot of money."

The concerning part for Pittsburgh is that this is not just about one game. The front office has made major financial commitments to keep Watt as the centerpiece, added Queen to solidify the middle of the defense, and invested heavily in Ramsey to lock down the secondary. When those three players are on the field together, the expectation is dominance, not vulnerability. 

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If this continues, the questions will only grow louder about whether the problem lies in the scheme, the preparation, or the ability of the staff to get the most out of its stars. Many former players who faced Tomlin’s defense have said for several years that the scheme has remained the same on the defensive side of the ball, and that may be the issue.

Ramsey was the best part of the defense during the Jets game, and without him the Steelers likely do not walk away with a 34-32 win. He made the game-saving stop on fourth and three when he knocked the ball out of Garrett Wilson’s hands to force an incompletion.

Do you have a ton of confidence that Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin can get this defense fixed before Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks?