The Steelers’ defense had a rough enough 2025 season that it left a mark well beyond the stat sheet. Pittsburgh finished outside the top 10 in points allowed for the first time since the 2021 season, and the damage was done early. Over the first eight weeks, the Steelers gave up more than 30 points four times, a stretch that set the tone for a year that never really recovered.
Even with strong seasons from Cameron Heyward, Joey Porter Jr., and the edge-rush trio of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, the unit still came away with a disappointing overall grade. That downturn showed up again when FanSided released its top 50 NFL players list and left every Steelers player off it.
That omission hit hardest with Heyward. He earned second-team All-Pro honors, yet still didn’t crack the list. The only interior defender included anywhere in the top 50 was Jeffrey Simmons, who landed at No. 35 and, by the way the list was built, made the cut on his own merit.
Watt’s absence is easier to explain than Heyward’s, even if it still stings. He’s not the Defensive Player of the Year-level force he was a few seasons ago, and all nine edge players who were ranked ahead of him were judged to be more impactful right now.
Porter Jr. is the other Steeler who could have forced his way onto the list. He broke out in 2025 with a dominant year in coverage, and he cleaned up one of the biggest issues from 2024, dropping from 17 penalties to 9. He was one of the most physical and sticky cover corners in the league, and while the corners who did make the list are all excellent players, Porter Jr. could be right there with them in 2026 as he works toward a new contract.
For now, the Steelers are left without a single player in the top 50. Heyward looks like the clearest snub, Porter Jr. is knocking on the door, and maybe Nick Herbig gets there soon too. Until then, Pittsburgh has to go prove the list wrong.
In Other News...
Why Steelers Fans Suddenly Believe This New Era Could Change Everything
Patrick Grahams arrival as defensive coordinator gives the Steelers another major piece to sort through as this new staff takes shape, and it is a hire that naturally invites big-picture questions about how quickly the defense can be reshaped. With coaching changes and roster adjustments already altering the conversation around Pittsburgh, there is a growing sense that the team is trying to reset more than just a few schemes.
The optimism has spread beyond the sideline, too, with some around the team wondering whether the pieces now in place can push both sides of the ball into a different tier by 2026. It is the kind of early buzz that usually comes with a fresh regime, but in Pittsburgh it also carries real weight because expectations are never small, and the next steps will say plenty about how far this overhaul can go. [Read more 🡒]
Two Steelers Legends Just Earned Rare All Time NFL Recognition
A fresh round of all-time NFL state rankings put a couple of familiar Steelers names back in the spotlight, with FanSideds Nick Villano sorting through the leagues history and landing on two franchise icons near the top of his list. For Pittsburgh fans, the appeal is obvious: Franco Harris and Rod Woodson were not just great players, they were defining figures for different eras of the organization.
Harris was chosen as the best NFL player from New Jersey, while Woodson earned the nod for Indiana, a reminder of how far their legacies reach beyond the black and gold. The selections also underscore the kind of company they keep in these debates, where regional pride and career greatness collide, and where the Steelers can still point to two Hall of Fame-caliber names as standard-bearers in a conversation that never really gets old. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Clark Unleashed On ESPN After Stunning Exit
Ryan Clarks exit from ESPN landed with extra weight in Pittsburgh, where the former Steelers safety built a second career as one of the networks more familiar NFL voices. He had spent 11 years at ESPN and was a regular on several football shows, so his departure was notable even before the public back-and-forth began.
Clark has since pushed back on how the move was described, saying on his podcast that he was fired and not simply caught up in a routine layoff. He also suggested the situation was more complicated inside ESPN, and while he has been outspoken about what happened, what comes next for him in NFL media remains unclear. [Read more 🡒]