Former Steelers Linebacker Said Everyone Is Sleeping On This Incredible New Player In 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers are well known for having powerhouse defenses. This has been true even as the team has struggled to make the playoffs the past few seasons. Regardless, names like Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Minkah Fitzpatrick have become household names. Now one former Steelers player says that folks might be failing to recognize one of their biggest assets. 

One position seems to exemplify the best and worst about the Steelers defense, that's linebacker. On one hand, you have the outside gang with Highsmith and Watt. They seem absolutely unstoppable with Watt being Watt and Highsmith making significant gains, and huge plays, each season. Unfortunately, when Watt was injured at the start of 2022, Highsmith was frequently double-teamed and there was no one to consistently step up and fill the void.  

Then there is the inside linebacker room. This position has plagued the Steelers since Ryan Shazier suffered his tragic spinal cord injury in 2017. It isn't for a lack of trying, Pittsburgh thought they found the answer when they traded up to draft Devin Bush in 2019. However, Bush never recovered fully from a torn ACL and is now with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Steelers were determined not to get caught with their proverbial pants down in 2023, either inside or outside. General Manager Omar Khan and his assistant Andy Weidl went out during the offseason and bought linebackers in bulk. 

For the inside, they picked up Elandon Roberts, entering his eighth year in the NFL, mostly with the New England Patriots. Cole Holcomb, going into his fifth year, joined Pittsburgh from the Washington Commanders. Most recently, Kwon Alexander, the former Pro Bowler has had a solid eight seasons in the league with several teams, most recently the New York Jets. 

On the outside, they looked to shore up the strengths of the existing group and build the Watt/Highsmith chemistry. To do this, they brought in veteran Markus Golden, who is entering his ninth season. He was a second-round selection by the Arizona Cardinals (where he played with now-Steelers teammate, Patrick Peterson). They also drafted Nick Herbig out of Wisconsin in the fourth round in 2023. 

With the preseason well underway, one former Steelers linebacker is lending his insight. Arthur Moats is speaking up about what he sees in these new guys and who he feels is having the biggest impact so far on the team.   

Steelers' Arthur Moats Is Impressed With The New Guys And One In Particular  

A former linebacker for the Steelers, Moats hosts a Steelers-based podcast called The Arthur Moats Experience. Upon entering the NFL, Moats was moved from defensive end to inside linebacker and then moved to outside linebacker by the Steelers. This gives him a unique perspective on both linebacker spots. During a recent episode, he discussed what he saw during the Steelers/Bills preseason game. 

"I was definitely a fan of what I saw. We started out with Cole and Elandon and Elandon balled. I thought he looked a lot faster this week than he did last week. It does not matter the play, he is going to hit you in the face."

Moats did not stop there. He also praised Alexander for his passion. The concerns he had prior to the start of the season, that the defense would be able to stop the run, dissipated. He called watching them, "A breath of fresh air."

He spoke about Herbig and Golden and how surprised he was by their gameplay. Moats said that Herbig had excellent hand usage and was even more athletic than he expected. Herbig had a big play during that game and Moats said that he sees why he is getting so much attention for it. 

However, he feels that there is one player who might not be getting the credit they deserve, and that is Golden. Since being picked up by the Steelers, Golden has given it everything he's got, even showing up for OTAs. He has made it clear that he appreciates their faith in him and plans to work as hard as he can to help the team.  

"I thought he balled out too, not just in the pass rush because he drew the holding penalty on the Gabe Davis big catch. He played the run also well. The one Markus Golden staple is this - every time you watch him, he has energy. Man is out there fired up, it's contagious, even if it's preseason."

Herbig might be garnering a lot of attention right now, mostly because he is an unexpected talent being a bit undersized for an outside linebacker, but also because he has a brother on the team, Nate Herbig. The Steelers love their brothers and because of that, the fans do too. 

While everyone is pouring extra attention into Herbig and forgetting about Golden, Golden is out there with his nose to the grindstone. Moats issued a warning to fans to not sleep on Golden, he is going to continue to showcase his talents and make a name for himself on this defense.

For the first time in a long time, the Steelers have a good problem at linebacker. There might be more talent, inside and outside, than we can use at once. While we always pray for zero injuries, it certainly feels good to know we have players of Herbig and Golden's talent backing up Watt and Highsmith on the outside and a solid complement of talent on the inside. 

What do you think about the two groups - inside and outside linebackers? Do you think our inside problems are solved? Click to comment below! 

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