The Pittsburgh Steelers have been regarded as having one of the better offseasons among the 32 NFL teams. But with still plenty of time until the beginning of the 2026 season, they could always make more additions, like that of former Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Kyle Van Noy.
Van Noy, who just turned 35, entered free agency this year after spending the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He’s now looking for his next landing spot, and if it ends up being Pittsburgh, it would be his sixth team in his NFL career.
But does the Steelers make sense for the veteran pass rusher? CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson certainly thinks so.
Steelers Could Add Veteran Depth With Kyle Van Noy
Currently, the Steelers have T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer as their pass rushers. Wilson, however, isn’t convinced that will be enough depth at the position this season. He believes Van Noy’s versatility and veteran leadership could make sense, especially with a coaching change.
“They don’t have a ton of depth,” Wilson said on CBS Sports HQ. “Steelers fans would tell you they do at edge rusher. They don’t.”
Van Noy played in 15 of 17 games last season, recording one interception, four pass deflections, two sacks, 20 combined tackles and nine QB hits. That was his lowest sack total since 2016 when he had just one. Yet, back in 2024, he had a career-high 12.5 sacks.
Van Noy is obviously past his prime, and for a team that already has its fair share of veterans, adding him may not make a ton of sense. The Steelers were among the oldest teams in the league last year.
However, Watt is coming off an injury-plagued season, posting a second-career-worst seven sacks. Highsmith and Herbig are solid, but Sawyer still has to gain experience after his rookie season.
Kyle Van Noy Addresses Potential Steelers Fit
What perhaps made Van Noy a potential option for the Steelers was his recent appearance on Up & Adams with host Kay Adams.
Van Noy made it clear that he’s open to returning to the Ravens. However, he would also be interested in playing for the Steelers—though he did raise concerns about his role.
“Yeah, I would like the thought of that, but I don’t know how much I would play with all those guys they have,” Van Noy said. “They have Nick Herbig, who’s a phenomenal player. He is going to make a lot of money. I can’t think of the other guy, and then T.J. Watt. Those are the three they got.
“I don’t know how much more playing time you’re going to see at the edge position between him, [Alex] Highsmith, T.J. Watt, and, yeah, Nick Herbig.”
It’s hard not to agree with Van Noy’s logic. There are only so many snaps to go around, and you don’t want to take them away from Watt (when healthy), Highsmith or Herbig. You also don’t want to stall Sawyer’s development in his second year.
There’s a good chance someone signs Van Noy this season despite his drop in production last year.
It just might not be the Steelers.
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