There are plenty of people who feel Steelers' second-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada is under a lot of pressure to perform this season. That's fair.
But the real pressure might be on first-year defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
Why Austin? Well, the Steelers have given him every possible thing he might need to have a dominant defense. Not just a good one, mind you, but a dominant one.
The final piece to the puzzle came Tuesday in the form of defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi. The former Browns and Bengals star signed a one-year deal to join the Steelers (will he be playing for the Ravens next year?), giving the team a replacement for retired Stephon Tuitt.
Tuitt, of course, retired three weeks ago after spending the offseason contemplating whether he wanted to return this season or not.
Many felt Tuitt had left the Steelers hanging too long. After all, by waiting until the start of June, the bulk of free agency and the draft had passed.
But the signing of the 28-year-old Ogunjobi, who had 49 tackles and a career-high seven sacks for the Bengals last season, shows there were still quality players available.
After all, early in the free agent process the Bears offered Ogunjobi a three-year, $40.5-million contract. The only problem was that he was coming off a foot surgery after being injured in the opening round of the playoffs and flunked his physical with the Bears. Ogunjobi also visited with the Jets in May but still wasn't ready to pass a physical.
So, by waiting things out, the Steelers actually landed a pretty good player at a bargain price. We don't know exactly what Ogunjobi's deal with the Steelers calls for him to make in 2022, but the fact it's not being reported by the agent means it's likely a bargain deal.
Now, Ogunjobi isn't Tuitt in his prime. The last time we saw Tuitt on the field in 2020, he was one of just three players in the AFC to reach double digits in sacks. But, he's a legitimate above-average starting defensive lineman.
The Steelers ran Chris Wormley and rookie Isaiahh Loudermilk out for a combined 1,000 snaps in 2021 with both Tuitt and Tyson Alualu, who only played five quarters last season before missing the season with an ankle injury.
Players such as Isaiah Buggs, Montravius Adams and Henry Mondeaux also saw more playing time than they probably deserved. As a result, the Steelers finished last in the NFL in rush defense.
Even before the addition of Ogunjobi, the Steelers had the NFL's highest-paid defense -- coupled with the league's lowest-paid offense.
So, while everyone is spotlighting Canada as the coach who is on the hot seat to produce, it's actually Austin, who is replacing retired Keith Butler as the coordinator, whose unit has the greater expectations.
The Steelers finished 24th in total defense in 2021. They were 20th in scoring defense. If both of those metrics aren't in the top-10 this season, this group will have underachieved. Heck, given what the team is spending on the defense, it probably should be a top-5 unit or it will be a disappointment.
With the additions of Ogunjobi, linebacker Myles Jack, cornerback Levi Wallace and moves such as retaining Ahkello Witherspoon and Terrell Edmunds, as well as adding defensive assistant coach and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, there won't be any excuses outside of a spate of injuries.
Few fan bases love their defense as much as that of the Steelers. They should be happy with this group.
• If the Steelers surprise the pundits and have a better season than some (many?) expect, they should send the Bears a fruit basket or something.
Not only did the Steelers scoop up Ogunjobi after the Bears flunked him on his physical, Chicago also handed the Steelers 24-year-old guard James Daniels, a former second-round pick, quarterback Mitch Trubisky, a former first-round pick, and wide receiver Anthony Miller, another former second-round pick.
With the exception of Miller, who will be in a battle to make the Steelers' roster, the other three all are expected to have starting roles and play pivotal roles with the Steelers this season.
• Some are wondering about dynamic of how things will work in the Steelers locker room between Mason Rudolph and Ogunjobi.
After all, Ogunjobi was suspended for a game for his part in the brawl that took place when the Steelers and Browns met in Cleveland in 2019. Ogunjobi's part in that mess was taking a run at Rudolph and pushing him to the ground from behind after the quarterback had tangled with defensive end Myles Garrett and gotten his helmet ripped from his head and was then bludgeoned with it.
For his part, Ogunjobi was coming to the aid of a teammate. He had been upfield, away from the initial scrum, and just saw Rudolph and Garrett's interaction. Then, he saw Garrett tackled in the end zone by offensive linemen David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey.
Now, Ogunjobi backed Garrett's story when the defensive lineman claimed Rudolph had used a racial slur, something the quarterback denied vehemently and his teammates and the league said did not happen. But Ogunjobi was simply going with what Garrett told him.
You had better believe that came up during his visit Tuesday prior to signing.
In the heat of the moment, things happen quickly. Nobody blamed Ogunjobi for coming to the aid of a teammate on the field.
As for whether he and Rudolph can coexist, that's for the players to iron out. But the bet here is that it will be handled -- if it hasn't already been addressed.
• Last year, the Steelers signed Trai Turner to a one-year deal after DeCastro showed up at minicamp unable to participate because of bone spurs that would lead to his release and retirement -- even though the latter has never been officially announced.
The Ogunjobi signing is a much better one that that -- assuming he holds up medically.
While those two were roughly the same age, Ogunjobi is at a different point in his career than Turner was when the Steelers signed him.
Turner was coming off a poor, injury-riddled season with the Chargers. Ogunjobi is coming off perhaps the most effective season of his career.
• The Steelers have led the NFL in sacks in each of the past five seasons, something that had never been done in back-to-back seasons before they did it.
And they're a good bet to lead the league in sacks in 2022, as well.
A defensive front of Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt on the outside with Cam Heyward, Alualu and Ogunjobi across the defensive line looks like one of the best, if not the best, in the NFL.
And even when the Steelers go to a four-man front, it will be formidable.
Ogunjobi is a clear upgrade over Wormley, who had a good season rushing the passer last year with a career-high seven sacks, but was deficient against the run. In fact, now, Wormley isn't even guaranteed to make this roster.
The Steelers led the NFL in sacks in 2021 despite being dead last in the NFL against the run. They did so despite averaging just 20.2 points per game.
Imagine what this defense can do if it faces more second- and third-and-longs? Imagine what it can do if the offense scores more than 20.2 points per game, which it most certainly should?