Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense doesn’t seem to have any answers for anybody.
The Pittsburgh Steelers believed they had the chance to field one of the best defenses in the league, and maybe of all time, when they entered the 2025 season with the NFL’s highest-paid defense once again. However, that couldn’t have been farther from being the case.
Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Steelers have now allowed 30+ points five times, including their latest 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears. It’s tied for the most such games in the head coach Mike Tomlin era with six weeks to go and matchups against teams like the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions still to come.
Allowing 30+ points has only happened two times since the NFL merger (2002, 1988), but Pittsburgh seems to be on pace to match that number or even beat it this season.
Pittsburgh's allowed 30+ points 5 times this year, including 31 to Chicago today.
That's tied for the most in a season in Tomlin era.
Allowing 6 in a season has only happened twice since merger (88, 02). With Buffalo, Baltimore (x2), Detroit to play, #Steelers could match it.
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) November 23, 2025
If that is how things play out, the Steelers will be forced to make some major changes to the unit during the offseason, which could include but is not limited to parting ways with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and moving on from some of its highly-paid stars.
Pittsburgh has added several news faces to the group. The team traded for defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Kyle Duger, signed cornerbacks Darius Slay and Brandin Echols and added defensive tackles Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This isn’t to say all of them have played poorly to this point, but they have yet to completely gel as a unit, and with just about a month and a half left in the season, that doesn’t look like it will significantly change.
Steelers defensive tackle and long-time team captain Cameron Heyward knows they’re running out of time.
“If we make a couple plays at the end and we win this game, we say, ‘Oh, we’re moving forward and we can learn from this,'” he said. “But the hourglass is going, and the sand is falling through. There’s not a lot of time for mistakes.”
Pittsburgh is now on the outside looking in on the playoff picture as the Baltimore Ravens have come back to steal the top spot in the AFC North. With two meetings still to come with its hot division rival, the Steelers seem to be in line for yet another late season collapse.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Defense on Historically Bad Pace Under Mike Tomlin
