Steelers Don't Need to Live a Life After Joe Haden
Prior to Joe Haden’s arrival in 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers were trying to find their identity on defense. It was the first time they had truly lost their way as a unit in the Mike Tomlin era.
They’d gone through a bevy of corners and defensive backs on their way to surging up the secondary. Once the Steelers signed Haden off the wire after the Browns cut him, the defense’s performance began to make a 360-degree flip.
Ever since coming to Pittsburgh, Haden has been a dominant shutdown cornerback. Even if he’s lost a step - and it hasn’t been a noticeable one - he is still one of the better options in the league.
He’s entering free agency again this off-season and was hoping to have a fully healthy and effective season. Unfortunately, Haden has missed some time to this point. It does look, however, like he’ll be back on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Un-ironically, it feels like the defense has struggled since Haden’s injury. They’ve given extended looks to the likes of Arthur Maulet, Cameron Sutton, and Justin Layne. None of them have truly stood out amongst their peers.
One guy who has been good in pass coverage is Ahkello Witherspoon.
The Steelers traded for Witherspoon prior to the start of the regular season. Sending a fifth-round pick, Witherspoon played very sparingly early on in the season. Pittsburgh has begun to lean on him the past handful of games and he rewarded their faith with two interceptions in Thursday’s loss to the Vikings.
If this is life without Joe Haden, I don’t think many Steelers fans want to see that. One day, Haden’s clock will run out and he’ll retire. But at 32-years old, Haden is still going relatively strong.
If no one offers him a multi-year deal in free agency, why shouldn’t the Steelers give him another go around? They’ll have boatloads of cap space and will still have the likes of TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick on their defense.
It’s fair to note that the communication in the second has been off without Haden. He’s the glue that holds everything together. The Steelers’ track record of drafting cornerbacks hasn’t really been a good one so keeping Haden around also feels like a prudent move.
A trio of Haden, Witherspoon, and then Sutton inside could be used the remainder of the way this season to try and see where the Steelers are at for next year. Maybe Haden’s reemergence can even push the defense back to greater heights and lead a push for a playoff spot late in the season.
Keeping number 23 should be a priority heading into the offseason. He’s aging and did not play a full season, so he won’t break the bank.
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