Patrick Graham is expected to transform the NFL’s most expensive defense in his first season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive coordinator, but those expectations hinge on several key questions. One beat writer took the opposite approach, exploring how everything could go terribly wrong.
“What if the three big ones all of a sudden look old at the same time? [T.J.] Watt, [Cam] Heyward, [Jalen] Ramsey,” Kaboly asked via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “Then you could have an issue.”
Pittsburgh’s defense is not only the most expensive, but also one of the oldest. Last year, Bill Barnwell’s annual snap-weighted roster age showed the Steelers having the NFL’s fourth-oldest defense with an average age of 28.2. None of the older veterans left over the offseason, and now everybody is a year older. It’s possible Pittsburgh will finish the 2026 season with the league’s oldest defense, especially given the additions of Jamel Dean and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
What if three of the oldest and most important parts of the defense—Watt (31), Ramsey (31), and Heyward (37)—all hit the proverbial age wall at the same time? It’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.
Watt will turn 32 in October, and his statistics have already been on the decline since the second half of the 2024 season. Watt is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career in 2025 after resetting the pass rusher market last offseason. There’s a lot of hope that a new defensive scheme that moves him around more will spur a comeback, but that’s no guarantee. He’s at the age where a drop-off in performance is expected.
Ramsey already showed signs of his age last year when Pittsburgh counted on him to be its No. 1 outside corner. He couldn’t quite keep up with the best receivers in the league anymore. He still provides value in the slot and at safety, but he’s also turning 32 in October. The shelf life of a defensive back tends to be shorter than players at other positions.
Heyward is the oldest of the bunch, but somehow the least worrisome. His sack numbers fell off last year, but he was still one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game. His game is based on power, and that has shown no signs of fading.
The counterpoint to this nightmare scenario is the amount of depth Pittsburgh has compared to last year. The defensive line, pass rusher, and defensive back rooms are all loaded with talent.
One of the keys to this 2026 defense could be just as much about load management for the older players as it is about scheme adjustments.
Pittsburgh took a calculated risk to extend its window to compete with one of the oldest and most expensive defenses in the league. The potential for payoff is there if Graham manages to turn things around, but the Steelers are ultimately betting that their veterans have one last strong season in them.
