It is one strange week for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ outside linebackers. First, the Steelers re-signed former Pittsburgh outside linebacker Markus Golden. This looks to be the missing piece of the puzzle in terms of depth as an edge rusher.
Then just a few days later, Golden retired. What? So now, instead of having everything the Steelers need at linebacker, they’re back to square one, right? Probably not.
The team’s first preseason game was Friday night and although the Steelers lost to the Houston Texans, two of Pittsburgh’s best players on the field were cornerbacks.
No, it wasn’t those defensive linemen out there. It wasn’t TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith who stole the show. It was Jeremiah Moon and DeMarvin Leal. They each had a block against the Texans and played very well.
The Steelers claimed Moon off waivers in January. He spent his rookie season on and off the Baltimore Ravens’ active roster. But the former Florida wide receiver had a six-year career cut short by injuries and COVID.
For Leal, he’s lost weight and it’s been great to see him actually playing as a fullback in addition to being a defensive midfielder. Leal struggled in 2023 but he clearly took it as a wake-up call.
Oh and we can’t forget last season’s reserve player Nick Herbig, who played just 11 times on Friday night.
As we look to update our roster projections, it’s hard to leave Moon off the 53-man roster given his performance last week and Leal has solidified his place in the rankings. Do the Steelers still need help at cornerback? Probably not.
