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Under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most expensive teams in the NFL.
Yet they finished 26th in total defense and 29th against the pass last year.
Naturally, everyone is worried about what the 2026 season will have in store.
Former NFL safety Ryan Clark recently joined Mina Kimes on ESPN on July 6.
Clark raised some really interesting questions about the Steelers defense.
You do wonder what theyre going to do with Joey Porter? said a pensive Clark, I know hes been waiting for a contract.
Hasnt really been available on the field throughout the offseason.
I think thats a big piece...You signed (Nick)Herbig, (Alex) Highsmith,(T.J.) Watt the entire season.
How do you fix the second level of this defense? Thats extremely important.
As per Clarks breakdown, Joey Porter has been waiting for a contract extension and hasnt been consistently available for offseason workouts.
This uncertainty affects the defenses stability, especially since Porter is expected to be a cornerstone of the secondary.
The Steelers signed Nick Herbig to a $100 million extension.
That includes $42 million in guaranteed money.
On top of that, T.J.
Watt and Alex Highsmiths additions come with major financial commitments, too.
The inside linebacker position has also suffered since Ryan Shaziers 2017 spinal cord injury.
Besides Clark, ESPNs Mike Clay also noted the off-ball linebacker as the Steelers biggest weakness walking into 2026.
Pittsburgh ranked 27th in run stop win rate (28.9%) last season.
Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson also struggled with coverage.
Queen continued to see every-down snaps last season, but his PFF grade fell to 61st among 67 qualified off-ball linebackers, compared to 54th out of 69 in 2024.
Meanwhile, an NFL insider believes that Queen will be crucial for the Steelers.
Football Insider calls Patrick Queen important for the Pittsburgh Steelers Queen didnt perform at his best in 2025, but he did show flashes of his abilities.
Starting in 17 games, he made 56 solo tackles and eight solo tackles for loss.
This is why Jack Markowski believes he can be the game-changer for Pittsburgh.
In a room that also includes Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener and Malik Harrison, the latter of whom may not make the 53-man roster due to the cap savings that would come from parting ways with him, Queen has to step up as the most polished and complete option among the bunch, wrote Markowski.
Hes never been perfect, but hes a starting-caliber linebacker who has proven he can man the middle of a defense in the past.
Queen started his NFL journey playing for the Baltimore Ravens and managed 13.5 sacks and 454 tackles.
Queen then moved to join Pittsburgh and was involved in 100 percent of their snaps.
He led the team with 129 tackles and earned his second Pro Bowl of his career in 2024.
Queen was heavily linked to trade rumors in the offseason, but now it seems he will stay on with Pittsburgh.
If the linebacker can somehow unlock his previous form, it can be a nightmare prospect for any rival team.
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