PITTSBURGH — The Steelers defensive line is in for a world of transition following the injury to Cam Heyward. Multiple guys will get more opportunities, and Pittsburgh must do everything possible to replace their All-Pro captain defensive end. But Mike Tomlin didn’t rule out the possibility that the Steelers could look to address the position outside of the organization. There are several players still out there that could make a difference.
“Obviously, we won’t turn a blind eye to the outside,” Tomlin said. “That’s just appropriate business. But we are also comfortable with the depth and competition we have assembled here and in team building.”
Heyward is not the only injury to worry about. Larry Ogunjobi is still playing through a foot injury, and DeMarvin Leal injured his triceps. All of those injuries stack up on each other and call for action. It’s likely that Armon Watts will play and that Breiden Fehoko could see more time. As it stands, Tomlin does like the growth he has seen from his young players, particularly Keeanu Benton.
“I’ve been really impressed by the growth and development and what those guys have shown me through team development,” Tomlin said. “Not only Leal and Loudermilk, but younger guys like Benton and others. I thought that was one of the strengths of our group coming out of team development—the depth and competition and the tough decision that we had to make in the defensive line. It won’t be a long period of time before we have to call on that.”
All that too means the Steelers like the depth, but there is probably some meat on the bone still in free agency. Several guys, such as Akiem Hicks, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Matt Ioannidis, and others, remain free agents. That could be a critical move that the Steelers look to make to help with their situation post-Heyward injury. For now, expect guys like Benton and Leal to step up into a much bigger role than they were initially supposed to have.