One Major Thing the Steelers Must Fix to Have an Elite Defense in 2026
Prior to the start of the 2025 season, head coach Mike Tomlin declared that the Steelers' defense could do “historic things.” Despite being the highest-paid defense last season, they were historically bad. One area that was a major struggle for them was third-and-long scenarios. According to Steelers Depot, they allowed a 14.3% conversion rate on third-and-10 or longer, which ranked the 12th worst in the NFL. This translated into opposing teams scoring 39 points in these situations.
The Steelers defense was plagued by communication issues and injuries in 2025. During Organized Team Activities this May, Alex Highsmith stated, “To be a great defense, you've got to be able to communicate, and so you see times when we weren’t a good defense last year, it’s because we weren’t communicating as we should. So, I think, for us, it’s all about communication, and the detail, every single snap, and being consistent with that.” The Steelers’ defense also lacked creativity and was too predictable under former head coach Tomlin and former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor noted, “The Steelers finished top five in scoring defense four times in Tomlin’s first five seasons in the NFL, but in the past 12 seasons of Tomlin’s tenure, the Steelers finished in the top five just twice, 2019 and 2020. The Steelers also haven’t finished in the top five in sacks since 2021.”
After Mike Tomlin stepped down in January, the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their new head coach. He hired a new coaching staff, including new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Graham can help the Steelers refine their defensive strategies and leverage their player depth. The Steelers have more depth in the secondary heading into this season. DeShon Elliott is healthy again. Jalen Ramsey is getting paid a premium salary. Jaquan Brisker signed a one-year deal with the Steelers during free agency this year. Many believe that 2026 will be Brisker’s breakout season.
One of the areas that Graham focuses on is communication. In May, Graham discussed the importance of communication. He explained, “The immediate task is to get on the same page, everybody getting on the same page with the vision that we have defensively for the defense this year, and just starting with the building blocks. In terms of this spring, communication is big, conditioning’s a big part of it, familiar with our terminology and how we’re going to speak to one another, so that we can make sure we’re as efficient as possible in terms of our communication.” Graham also said, “When you’re trying to coordinate 11 people out there on that field plus the seven to nine coaches to be on the same page, communication has to be at the forefront of what you’re thinking about, because, again, it’s different than the offense. We’re trying to defend that space behind us, and we've got to be on the same page.”
Graham’s defense also emphasizes versatility. He adjusts the team’s defensive schemes based on the players’ strengths and moves players around when necessary. Under their former leadership, the Steelers’ defensive players weren’t moved around much. According to ESPN, TJ Watt played 94% of his defensive snaps at left outside linebacker last season. Earlier this month, Watt talked about how he’s embracing versatility this year. He explained, “I think, in the past, it was a little bit more of me being stubborn, and I think this new system, a lot of it’s built in, so I really can’t say no. I have to move with it. A lot of us are interchangeable parts. You’re not just learning your position. You kind of have to learn the whole defensive front structure, because we are all basically interchangeable. We can do different things, so I think you’re going to see a lot more movement out of not just me, but the whole front.”
The Steelers are hopeful that their new coaching staff can help their defense reclaim the elite status that it held before. Brisker even believes that they have the potential to become a top-five defense in 2026. Resolving their third-and-long issue is essential for their success. Addressing their communication, leveraging their player depth, and moving players around will go a long way. Fixing their third-and-long vulnerabilities will help put them on the path to becoming an elite defense again.
