The Steelers are hosting former Cardinals and Giants outside linebacker Markus Golden for a tryout on Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of The Score and Josnia Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
Golden has been in the NFL since 2015 after he was selected in the 2nd round by the Cardinals that year. Since then, all Golden has done is put up stats and numbers. He quietly has racked up 47 sacks in his career along with 62 tackles for loss, with three 10+ sack seasons. Golden last eclipsed 10 sacks in 2021, when he posted 11 sacks with the Cardinals.
In 2022, he only nabbed 2.5 sacks, but his pressure rate went up and his QB Hits climbed from 19 to 20 from the previous year. Starting 14 games for the Cardinals and playing in 17, Golden has enjoyed a clean bill of health the last three seasons, not missing a game over the past three seasons.
He spent 2019 and part of 2020 with the Giants after spending his entire career with the Cardinals after he was traded back to Arizona at the trade deadline. This would not be the first time with allotted interest for Goldne being thrown his way from the Steelers. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert were at Missouri pro day the year that Golden came out of college.
Golden becomes the latest player in a string of veterans that the Steelers have hosted over the last few weeks. Former Falcons edge rusher Stansly Maponga and linebacker Kwon Alexander are the most notable examples of players that Pittsburgh has looked to kick the tires on during the month of May following the rookie minicamp.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the team drafted Nick Herbig as someone who can play on the edge and inside, but has looked for depth throughout the offseason behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Golden would be the veteran option, giving them the strongest OLB room they’ve had since Melvin Ingram departed the room as a depth piece.