The Steelers finished strong in 2022. Most of the players responsible for the finish will be back for 2023.
As noted by Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 18 starters are returning for the coming season. As Batko also notes, not all of them will keep their jobs.
Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. could end up behind rookie first-rounder Broderick Jones. Also, free-agent arrival Isaac Seumalo surely will supplant Kevin Dotson at left guard.
Likewise, cornerback Levi Wallace could get caught in a numbers game with veteran Patrick Peterson and rookie Joey Porter, Jr. And nose tackle Montravius Adams could end up on the bench, given the team’s offseason upgrades on the defensive line.
The four players who won’t be back all come from the defense: linebacker Myles Jack, linebacker Devin Bush, cornerback Cam Sutton, and safety Terrell Edmunds.
However it shakes out, Mike Tomlin and his staff will have the best possible combination of players on the field, and they’ll be ready to go.
They’ll need to be. The AFC keeps getting better and better. For a Steelers team that used to rule the division, the challenge this year begins with staying out of the basement.