Markus Golden did not make it too far into his second Steelers contract. Eight days after re-signing, the veteran pass rusher has shifted course. The Steelers placed him on the reserve/retired list Friday.
After producing three seasons of double-digit sacks, Golden operated as a Steelers rotational rusher last season. The former Cardinals and Giants edge player racked up four sacks and 10 QB hits as a Steeler in 2023, but the team will need a different plan behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith now.
The Steelers gave Golden a one-year, $1.32M deal to play behind their standout OLBs, and he suited up for 16 games. Now, Golden follows Titans guard Saahdiq Charles by reversing course into retirement during camp. Though, Golden logged nine NFL seasons; Charles was going into Year 5. Golden is also 33, having entered the league at 24 out of Missouri.
The 2015 second-round pick will be best remembered for his two Cardinals stints. Two of Golden’s three 10-plus-sack seasons occurred in Arizona — each coming as a Chandler Jones sidekick. Golden produced a 12.5-sack season in 2016, and after an October 2017 ACL tear threw off his career trajectory, he totaled 10 sacks (and a career-high 27 QB hits) as a Giant in 2019. Following a midseason trade back to Arizona in 2020, Golden accumulated 11 sacks for a 2021 Cardinals team that — despite losing J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins to injuries — snapped a lengthy playoff drought.
Golden did not fare too well — at least, given his production — financially, never signing a deal worth more than $10M. The Giants gave him a one-year, $3.75M accord in 2019 and slapped a UFA tender on him a year later. He signed a two-year, $9M deal to stay in Arizona in 2021 and agreed to a short-term extension in 2022. A retooling Cards regime cut him a year later, leading to the Pittsburgh agreement. For his career, Golden registered 51 career sacks and did run his string of short-term contracts past $22M in career earnings.
The Steelers did not draft any outside linebackers and again have a question regarding production behind Highsmith and Watt. Nick Herbig does remain on the roster after a three-sack season, and the team will expect a bounce-back effort from stalwart D-lineman Cameron Heyward after an injury-plagued 2023. Still, it would not necessarily surprise to see the Steelers keep looking. They made a late-summer trade for Malik Reed two Augusts ago; a similar move to replace Golden may be necessary for this defense-oriented squad.
