Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager, Omar Khan, also known as the "Khan Artist", strikes again. After hosting him for a visit on Tuesday, the Steelers have reached an agreement with edge rusher, Markus Golden on a one-year deal. Golden has spent most of his eight-year career with the Arizona Cardinals, while he also played a season and a half for the New York Giants. In 2022, he had just 2.5 sacks in 14 starts for the Cardinals.
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Steelers GM Omar Khan continues what has been an incredible offseason for the organization.
For his career, Golden has been very productive. He has 47 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 62 tackles for loss and 130 quarterback hits. He knows how to get to the quarterback, racking up three separate double-digit sack campaigns, including 2021 most recently. He won't have to come in and be an every-down starter in Pittsburgh either. ESPN's Adam Schefter was first on the news.
Steelers reached agreement today on a one-year deal with former Cardinals LB Markus Golden, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 24, 2023
This is a huge signing for the Steelers' defense. Depth was still a concern at the edge rusher position, as well as off-ball following the 2023 NFL Draft. The first concern is addressed with this signing as Golden becomes a very good pass rusher for this team as far as depth goes. Fans can think of it as a Melvin Ingram role. In 2022, when TJ Watt was injured, the backups didn't provide enough pressure.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The Steelers can now feel a bit better about the depth behind star edge rushers TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Now, in the case that Watt or Alex Highsmith goes down with an injury, the team should feel more comfortable than in 2022. Beyond those main three guys, the other depth at the edge position includes Quincy Roche and the recently-signed, Toby Ndukwe. Roche returned to Pittsburgh back in January after spending a few seasons with the Giants.
Where Will Steelers Play Herbig In 2023?
One player to watch from this signing will be recent fourth-rounder, Nick Herbig. In college, he played on the edge, but many believed he would move into an off-ball role in the NFL due to his small size. There have been a little bit of mixed reports on it, but it seems like he could play a little bit of both positions in Pittsburgh, something Assistant General Manager, Andy Weidl stated recently. A signing like Golden could allow Herbig to develop in his rookie season while figuring out which position he will be better at in the future.
In case you were wondering, yes, there is a connection to Golden within the Steelers' organization. As pointed out by Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Golden went to college and lived with Denzel Martin, the Steelers' outside linebackers coach. This will be Martin's first year in his new role, as he was just promoted a few months ago. The familiarity there between the two should help both adapt quickly in 2023.
Fun fact about new Steelers OLB Markus Golden is that in college at Missouri he lived with Denzel Martin, now the Steelers' OLB coach. So, even if it's a lesser role than he's used to, Golden is going to a place with real familiarity and relationships.
— Brian Batko Blue Check (@BrianBatko) May 24, 2023
AP Photo / Andy Manis
Former Wisconsin and now-Steelers linebacker, Nick Herbig will likely be part of two sibling duos for the team in 2023.
Welcome to Pittsburgh, Markus! How big of a signing is this for Pittsburgh? Who do you expect Khan to sign next, an off-ball linebacker? Are you much more comfortable with the team's depth at edge rusher/outside linebacker now? What are your expectations for Golden in 2023? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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