Catching up with the 2015 Steelers: Defense


Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

Looking back on Steelers football, one decade ago.

Training camp starts on Wednesday — new football is almost here! But before then, let’s take a look at a Steelers season from the past.

From the first edition of this series (read it here!):

Earlier this year, I solicited some article ideas from BTSC readers, and one of them was a “where are they now” piece on past Steelers. Believe it or not, 2015 was a decade ago, and that felt like a natural spot to look back on from 2025.

In that season, the Steelers finished 10-6 and placed second in the AFC North behind the 12-4 Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Steelers would knock the Bengals out of the Wild Card round (the Martavis Bryant flip catch game) before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the Divisional round.

In Part 2, we’ll be looking at the major defensive contributors on that 2015 team. You can view statistics, full rosters, and more on Pro Football Reference. Here’s what they’re up to now:

DE Cam Heyward (54 total tackles, seven sacks)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens
  • Still on the Steelers! Heyward is entering his 15th year in the NFL at age 36 in 2025. He’s also coming off his fourth-career first-team All-Pro.
  • Heyward’s 88.5 career sacks currently rank second in Steelers history, behind T.J. Watt’s 108.
  • Founded “The Heyward House” through the Cameron Heyward Foundation in 2015, which “seeks to empower, enlighten, and engage youth through innovative programs, partnerships, and community outreach.” Heyward won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2023.
  • Hosts the weekly “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast through Vox Media.

NT Steve McLendon (14 total tackles, one sack)

Cleveland Browns v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Last played in the 2021-22 NFL season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; won a Super Bowl with them in the 2020-21 season.
  • He founded the Team MVP Gym (MVP stands for “McLendon Vision Performance” in this case) in Flowery Branch, Georgia, in 2019 while he was still a player. This 2023 article from Jets.com follows up with McLendon: “It’s like one of the best things ever for me because I see their process. I see their journey. I see their hard work. I see their dedication, not only in the gym, but I get to see it in their classroom.”
  • Per that 2023 article, McLendon lives in Buford, Georgia, with his wife and four sons.

DE Stephon Tuitt (54 tackles, 6.5 sacks)

Arizona Cardinals v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Last played in 2020. Tuitt suffered an injury in 2021 and lost his brother, Richard Bartlett III, in a tragic hit-and-run that same year. Tuitt didn’t play that season and retired in 2022. “After the tragic loss of my brother Richard, and upon completing my degree from the University of Notre Dame, I know I am being called to move beyond the sport of football,” he wrote in his retirement announcement.
  • Tuitt has largely stayed out of the news since his retirement. This 2022 piece from DK Pittsburgh Sports stated that the Tuitt family was still seeking answers after Bartlett’s death.

OLB Arthur Moats (35 total tackles, four sacks)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Kansas City Chiefs
Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

OLB James Harrison (40 total tackles, five sacks)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

LB Ryan Shazier (87 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

LB Lawrence Timmons (119 total tackles, six tackles for loss)

Arizona Cardinals v Pittsburgh Steelers

LB Vince Williams (46 total tackles, two tackles for loss)

NFL: OCT 25 Steelers at Chiefs
Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

OLB Jarvis Jones (29 total tackles, two sacks)

Cleveland Browns v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • The Steelers declined Jones’ fifth-year option in 2016. Despite signing with the Cardinals in 2017, he was released with an injury settlement and never returned to the NFL. The 2013 first-rounder played just four seasons, logging six career sacks.
  • Returned to his alma mater of Georgia in 2019 and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Human Development and Family Science at 31 years old. He also served as a student assistant coach.
  • In May 2025, Jones was named the head coach of Carver-Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he used to play.
  • Served as the Georgia Bulldogs’ assistant outside linebacker coach for five seasons; still listed as the player connection coordinator on the team’s 2025 football staff.

OLB Bud Dupree (26 total tackles, four sacks)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

CB William Gay (58 total tackles, two interceptions)

Denver Broncos v Pittsburgh Steelers
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
  • Gave us the funniest excessive celebration in NFL history in 2015.
  • Last played in 2017; signed with the New York Giants in 2018 after being released by the Steelers but was cut before the season.
  • Currently the Washington Commanders’ assistant defensive backs coach; hired in 2024. Gay was an assistant coach for the Steelers in 2019 and the defensive backs coach at Missouri State in 2020.
  • Gay has been vocal over his career about raising awareness and support for victims of domestic violence. His mother was murdered by his stepfather when he was 8 years old. This 2019 Steelers.com feature details his efforts to support the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

CB Antwon Blake (77 total tackles, two interceptions)

Wild Card Playoffs - Baltimore Ravens v Pittsburgh Steelers

CB Ross Cockrell (44 tackles, two interceptions)

Denver Broncos v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers’ 2020 team alongside Steve McLendon. Since his 2016 season with the Steelers, Cockrell also had stints with the Giants and Panthers.
  • Cockrell has been out of the news since his retirement, but appeared at a practice for his alma mater Duke in 2024.

S Will Allen (80 total tackles, one interception)

Denver Broncos vs Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL week 15
Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
  • Retired following the 2015 season; played half of his 12-year NFL career with the Steelers.
  • Founded the Will Allen Foundation in 2008, which provides educational partnerships and holiday giving for children in the Pittsburgh area and elsewhere, amongst other efforts.
  • Per his LinkedIn, Allen is a member of several boards and an investor.

S Mike Mitchell (80 total tackles, three interceptions)

Indianapolis Colts v Pittsburgh Steelers
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Other notable Steelers on defense in 2015:

  • LB Sean Spence
  • S Robert Golden
  • DB Brandon Boykin
  • DT Cam Thomas
  • DB Cortez Allen
  • OLB Anthony Chickillo
  • LB L.J. Fort
  • DT Daniel McCullers

Bonus: special teams

  • K Chris Boswell (29/32) — 2015 was his first year with the Steelers. He’s still on the Pittsburgh roster, and one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. Appeared on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast less than a year ago.
  • P Jordan Berry (59 punts, 42.6-yard average) — 2015 was also his first year as a Steeler. The Aussie last played in 2021 for the Vikings but spent a week on the Steelers practice squad in 2022. He’s been out of the spotlight since, but still posts occasionally on Instagram.
  • LS Greg Warren (16 starts) — last played in 2016; released in 2017. Spent entire NFL career with Steelers. Per a 2021 interview with Steelers Takeaways, he’s an investor and part-time worker at his brother-in-law’s physical therapy clinic.

Read part 1 here!

J.J. Watt reacts to T.J. Watt extension: ‘If this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet’


NFL referee Shawn Smith (14) flips the coin as brothers Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) take part before their game against at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The edge rusher market has ballooned.

The value of the NFL’s best players just keeps rising, and the Watt family has seen it firsthand.

Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history on July 17, signing a three-year, $123 million extension with the Steelers. A former Defensive Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-Pro, it was the expected market value for a player of his caliber, even at 30 years old.

But as CBS Sports pointed out in a graphic that same day, Watt’s third NFL contract alone is nearly worth the same as his brother J.J. Watt’s career earnings over 12 years in the league.

“I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner…” quipped the elder Watt on X, formerly known as Twitter.

J.J. Watt was an elite defender himself, earning a whopping three Defensive Player of the Year awards and five first-team All-Pros over his career. His biggest contract came in 2014: a six-year, $100 million extension from the Texans ahead of his age-24 season with $51.8 million guaranteed.

At the time, his guaranteed money and average yearly salary, $16.6 million, were the highest for a defender in league history. Now, both numbers are less than half of what T.J. Watt received in his 30s.

Of course, the salary cap has grown since 2014. It was $133 million then, per Spotrac — now, it’s more than doubled to $279.2 million in 2025.

The value of the edge rusher position has increased as well, though. J.J. Watt’s biggest-ever salary cap percentage was 9.6% in 2015, per Over the Cap. T.J. Watt’s will be 14.2% in 2026.

Catching up with the 2015 Steelers: Offense


Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

Looking back on Steelers football, one decade ago.

Can you name a better offseason activity than naming random NFL players from the past? No, no you can’t.

Earlier this year, I solicited some article ideas from BTSC readers, and one of them was a “where are they now” piece on past Steelers. Believe it or not, 2015 was a decade ago, and that felt like a natural spot to look back on from 2025.

In that season, the Steelers finished 10-6 and placed second in the AFC North behind the 12-4 Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Steelers would knock the Bengals out of the Wild Card round (the Martavis Bryant flip catch game) before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the Divisional round.

In the first half of this series, we’ll be looking at the major offensive contributors on that team. You can view statistics, full rosters, and more on Pro Football Reference. Here’s what they’re up to now:

QB Ben Roethlisberger (3,938 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens
  • Retired from the NFL following the 2021 season.
  • The Steelers’ all-time leader in just about every passing stat; fifth-most passing yards and eight-most passing touchdowns in NFL history.
  • Currently co-hosts the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast on YouTube.
  • Roethlisberger’s BigBen7.com website posts updates regarding the former quarterback’s announcements and community events.

RB DeAngelo Williams (907 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns)

Indianapolis Colts v Pittsburgh Steelers
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

RB Le’Veon Bell (556 rushing yards, three touchdowns)

Arizona Cardinals v Pittsburgh Steelers

WR Antonio Brown (136 catches, 1,834 yards, 10 touchdowns)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

WR Markus Wheaton (44 catches, 749 receiving yards, five touchdowns)

Denver Broncos v Pittsburgh Steelers

WR Martavis Bryant (50 catches, 765 receiving yards, six touchdowns)

Cleveland Browns v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Was suspended the entirety of the 2016 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
  • Traded to the Raiders in 2018. He’s since bounced around multiple leagues and teams: the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks, the Indoor Football League’s Massachusetts Pirates, the Fan-Controlled Football League’s FCF Beasts, and the XFL’s Vegas Vipers.
  • Recently spent time on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad (2023) and the Washington Commanders (August 2024). He’s currently unsigned, but hasn’t retired. He’s 33 years old.

TE Heath Miller (60 catches, 535 receiving yards, two touchdowns)

Wild Card Playoffs - Baltimore Ravens v Pittsburgh Steelers
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
  • 2015 would be Miller’s last season in the NFL. He retired in February of 2016.
  • This 2020 feature on Miller notes he lives in Virginia with his wife and four children. He stays out of the spotlight: “I’ve never really felt comfortable being the guy with the attention thrust on me and that’s why I don’t really do a lot of interviews or stuff like that.”
  • Miller, the Steelers’ all-time leader for most tight end statistics, was inducted into the team’s Hall of Honor in 2022.

TE Matt Spaeth (Two catches, 10 receiving yards)

Indianapolis Colts v Pittsburgh Steelers
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

LT Alejandro Villanueva (10 starts)

Indianapolis Colts v Pittsburgh Steelers

LG Ramon Foster (16 starts)

Indianapolis Colts v Pittsburgh Steelers

C Cody Wallace (16 starts)

Indianapolis Colts v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Started entire season as Maurkice Pouncey missed 2015 with a broken fibula.
  • 2015 would be Wallace’s last year in the NFL. He was hurt in 2016 and never made it back on the field.
  • Per a 2020 interview with Steelers Takeaways, Wallace partnered with his brother-in-law to start a termite inspection company in California.

RG David DeCastro (16 starts)

Cincinnati Bengals v Pittsburgh Steelers
  • DeCastro’s last NFL season was 2020. The Steelers cut him in 2021 with a non-football injury designation after six consecutive Pro Bowls.
  • He’s now an investor in the medical marijuana company Whole Plants LLC, alongside former Steelers Ben Roethlisberger and Bud Dupree. DeCastro was the applicant for the Whole Plants location in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, that was approved in March despite some controversy.

RT Marcus Gilbert (16 starts)

Cleveland Browns v Pittsburgh Steelers

Other notable Steelers on offense in 2015:

  • WR Darrius Heyward-Bey
  • FB Roosevelt Nix
  • C Doug Legursky
  • G Chris Hubbard (Last played in 2024 — still an active free agent)
  • QB Landry Jones
  • TE Jesse James
  • LT Kelvin Beachum (Still in the NFL! Now on the Cardinals)
  • C Maurkice Pouncey (missed season)
  • WR Sammie Coates
  • QB Mike Vick (started three games!)

Stay tuned for part two: defense — coming soon!

One random Steelers play: Dime package shenanigans


Pittsburgh Steelers defense poses for the camera during the regular season NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on November 17, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Teryl Austin actually drew up something… creative?

Welcome back to BTSC’s “One random Steelers play” series. (Here’s the first edition if you’d like a reminder of how this works).

The TL:DR? In this dead part of the summer, we’re using a random number generator to find a singular play from the Steelers’ 2024, then using it as an excuse to talk about last season and some general football insights.

This week, the random number generator chose the 129th play of the Steelers’ Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The play was a third quarter second-and-six where the Pittsburgh defense steamrolled a Derrick Henry outside zone run for no gain. Pretty cool, right?

However, last week’s play was very similar — essentially, it came down to defenders winning their individual matchups — and we’ve already gone over Henry zone runs in a past edition.

So, feel free to watch that play on your own time, but I decided to move forward two plays (not one as the next was a false start), and voila — finally something interesting.

The context: Baltimore has the ball on their own 13-yard-line. It’s third and 11. The Steelers are up 15-10 with 15 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Here’s the play:

Pausing pre-snap, we can see that the Steelers are in their dime package, which means six defensive backs (one more than nickel): two safeties, two outside cornerbacks, and two slot cornerbacks. Given the down and distance, the Steelers are expecting a pass here and choose their personnel accordingly.


Pittsburgh also lines up in an overload front on the right side of the Ravens’ line, with three-quarters of the defensive line on one side of the center. To fill the gaping hole on the other side, Patrick Queen, the one inside linebacker on the field, threatens to blitz over the left guard.

The initial coverage shell is pretty ambiguous here, too. Strong safety Damontae Kazee is playing the deepest and Minkah Fitzpatrick is out of his usual centerfielder role. Could this be a rotated cover 3, or some sort of cover 2 or 4?

Then, the Ravens snap the ball, and the Steelers secondary quickly realigns. Queen sprints backwards into the middle hole while Fitzpatrick moves forward to the hook/curl zone on his side of the field. Now, the cover 2 shell is Kazee and boundary cornerback Joey Porter Jr., presenting the Ravens with an inverted cover 2 look.

You can see the coverage defenders without deep responsibilities form a five-man wall of sorts right at the sticks. They’re fine with anything underneath — just don’t allow a first down.


I added arrows in the screenshot above to show where the Ravens receivers are running. The route concept itself (intermediate out-breakers for the boundary receivers, crossers for the rest) is actually a halfway-decent cover 2 beater. In theory, there’s a hole shot (between the shallow and deep zones) available for both Zay Flowers on the top of the screen and Rashod Bateman on the bottom.

However, Lamar Jackson flushes out of the pocket early despite good protection against the Steelers’ four-man rush and doesn’t have time to make either throw. Nose tackle Keeanu Benton gets some early penetration even though he’s eventually stopped, causing Jackson to bail.

But this is also why disguises on defense can be so helpful — the unorthodox pass rush speeds up Jackson’s internal clock, and the post-snap secondary rotation slows his ability to identify the coverage.

As Jackson breaks out of the pocket right, it looks like T.J. Watt loses contain. However, I think it was supposed to be a delayed stunt with Preston Smith looping to the outside of Watt. Instead, there’s a missed holding call and Smith can’t secure the edge in time.

But the veteran pass rushers don’t panic. Smith takes a wide angle to keep Jackson from breaking upfield, while Watt slows down to prevent any sort of cutback. With Jackson out of the pocket, he’s cut his passing options in half, and the Steelers have five defenders covering just two Ravens receivers.


At this point, Jackson’s only hope is to hold out long enough for someone to get open. Running back Justice Hill (No. 43), coming across the field, actually finds a vacant zone for a split second before Donte Jackson crashes on the route.

However, by then Jackson is busy avoiding Preston Smith, and he’s eventually forced out of bounds by Watt before he can make a throw. Pittsburgh gets the third-down stop.


And because Jackson stepped off the field behind the line of scrimmage, it would count as one of Watt’s 11.5 sacks last season.

The Ravens would punt on the following fourth and 15. The Steelers would eventually win 18-16.

Believe it or not, the Steelers actually did a few creative things on defense in 2024.

What are your thoughts and takeaways on this random Steelers play? Any suggestions for the series? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!

Saturday Night Open Thread Offseason Week 23: Reporting to training camp


A general view of Chuck Noll Field during the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 29, 2023, in Latrobe, PA.
Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Come and join this merry band of Steelers’ faithful for some lively debate about our Steelers, good food, music, and the merits of the odd cold beverage.

Live from not-Delaware, it’s Saturday Night! This week, it’ll be I, Ryland Bickley, not NAS204PSU, bringing you this Saturday Night Open Thread (aka SNOT).

In the spirit of the great work NAS always does with these threads, I’ve attempted to theme the questions this week. Steelers players report to training camp Wednesday, meaning they’re probably planning for their time in the Saint Vincent College dorms through the next few weeks of summer.

For this week’s thread, so will we.

This six pack of questions is here to get the conversation going is below, also let us know what you’re eating/drinking!

  1. The grand training camp entrance. What’s your dream car?
  2. Hanging out in the dorms. What snacks are you packing?
  3. Backs vs. backers. Which Steelers running back/linebacker do you least want to go against in this drill?
  4. Seven shots. Arthur Smith lets you call one play from the two-yard-line. What are you drawing up?
  5. Media availability. Have you ever been in the news?
  6. “Friday Night Lights” practice. What’s the best football-related movie/show/book you’ve ever watched/read?