For all of the Pittsburgh Steelers many changes this offseason, the franchise ran it back at inside linebacker. Same players. Same position coach. The hope, it seems, is changing everything else will be what improves the unit.
A unit that must get better. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson have flashed but neither have found consistency. Queen’s tenure has been defined by ups and downs, legitimately great stretches followed by poor ones. Wilson is a decent cover linebacker but struggles against the run and has hardly played in Pittsburgh’s true base defense because of it.
Everything behind is depth. Malik Harrison thumps against the run but not as forcefully as Elandon Roberts and sits as a niche role player. Carson Bruener shined on special teams as a rookie but is doubtful to help out much on defense. Cole Holcomb valiantly played his first NFL snaps since returning from his 2023 knee injury, but he’s not a full-time starter.
Inside linebacker joined quarterback as the only two positions that did not see a coaching change. Scott McCurley returns for his second season with the team. Given his deep ties to Mike McCarthy, who hired him in Green Bay in 2006, it’s no surprise he stuck around. It’s also fair to question if that’s the right move. McCurley has tenure but hasn’t been well-regarded as a coach and last year’s unit performance did nothing to change his reputation.
So what changes? The rest of it. A new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham with his own ideas and tweaks. Graham’s coaching is rooted in front seven play, d-line and linebackers, and he’ll be the primary game planner and gameday playcaller. A defensive line bolstered by free agent signing Sebastian Joseph-Day to give the Steelers better depth than recent years.
More importantly, the potential and hopeful second-year surge of Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. The better the d-line plays, the better the linebackers will, too.
Queen and Wilson’s own play could also improve. Queen’s entering his 7th NFL season but doesn’t turn 27 until August. He remains in the prime of his career. If Pittsburgh finds a way to take some responsibility off his plate and let him play more free, his performance could spike. Wilson is entering a critical third season, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the light finally came on. The talent is there. He just must play more downhill and defeat blocks with regularity.
Pittsburgh had plenty of chances to reshape the room. To replace McCurley with someone else. To trade Queen when the Cowboys came calling. To cut Harrison and save cash and cap. To let Holcomb hit free agency. To draft the position in a strong class with plenty of options. The Steelers chose none of those paths.
Will it work? Impossible to know. But the decision is under the microscope. If results follow, Pittsburgh’s patience and steadiness will make them look like geniuses. If it doesn’t, it’ll be viewed as stagnancy and a clear failure of McCarthy’s first season.