The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to start a new era in 2022, and here are three changes we are all going to have to get used to.
While some changes are more noticeable than others, the Steelers will undoubtedly look very different in 2022 in more ways than one. Some of these changes will be expected, yet others may be things we have already forgotten.
Here are what I think will be some of the biggest or more impactful changes for the Steelers in 2022.
The defense will be different in 2022
There are two massive components to this. Firstly, Keith Butler will no longer be the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator. While Butler may have flown under the radar during his somewhat short tenure as the defensive coordinator it is important to note that the Steelers led the league or tied for the league lead in sacks in all but two of the seasons Butler was the coordinator. The Steelers were tied for 7th and 4th in the league in the other two seasons.
The Steelers weren’t able to translate such tremendous regular season success to the postseason. However, had they been able to capitalize on some of the best quarterback rushing defenses of all time, Butler’s retirement would have garnered a lot more attention than what it did this season. Butler coached a defense that averaged over 3 sacks a game for the last 5 seasons. That in and of itself was a remarkable feat.
The second main component is that Mike Tomlin will no longer be calling the plays on defense. The faith he must have in Teryl Austin is evident. The defense has not been the problem for the Steelers in recent years. Losing both their elite defensive coordinator and changing the dynamic of who will be making the play calls on that side of the ball is a lot of change. Steelers fans will likely have to cut the defense some slack this season as I believe the Steelers are very unlikely in continuing such a dominant streak of getting after the quarterback.