Getty The Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin added a defensive starter in NFL free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added more defensive depth.
The Steelers reportedly signed defensive lineman Armon Watts on April 10. Watts’ agent David Canter broke the news himself on Twitter.
Excited to announce @gsefootball client @armonwatts will be signing with @steelers
Watts has played four seasons in the NFL, all previously in the NFC North. In 57 career games, he has posted 8 sacks, 125 combined tackles, including 7 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits. He’s also recorded 3 forced fumbles and a pass defense.
The financial details of Watts’ deal have yet to be disclosed.
Steelers Sign Armon Watts
The 26-year-old defensive lineman began his career as a sixth-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL draft. He played in seven games as a rookie, making one start.
His playing time has steadily increased since his rookie year. Watts has dressed for every game since the 2020 season. In 2021, he made nine starts for the Vikings, and then last year, he started 12 contests for the Chicago Bears.
Watts set career highs with 5 sacks, 46 combined tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2 forced fumbles in 2021. He had 35 combined tackles, including a career-best 4 tackles for loss with the Bears last season.
The 26-year-old also had 1 sack and 2 quarterback hits in 2022.
How Watts Fits With the Steelers
The Steelers re-signed veteran Larry Ogunjobi, but Watts is the second addition the team has made along the defensive line this offseason.
In free agency, the Steelers also signed 26-year-old Breiden Fehoko from the Los Angeles Chargers. He agreed to a one-year deal worth a little under $1 million. In all likelihood, Watts signed for a similar figure.
The Steelers could target defensive linemen early and often in the 2023 NFL draft but with Fehoko and now Watts, the team has insurance along its defensive line.
Before free agency, Cameron Heyward was the only defensive lineman with significant experience on the Pittsburgh roster. Heyward is a 3-time All Pro but also turned 34 years old this offseason.
With the free agency additions, the Steelers now have four defensive linemen who made at least nine starts in 2022. Watts has the ability to be a starter for Pittsburgh this fall, but if the Steelers add a rookie who earns a starting role, Watts could still shine as a reserve.
Steelers analyst Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot wrote that he views Watts as a strong player off the bench.
“I can see Watts become a solid rotational piece for a defensive line, though probably never a starter, with a sorta similar career arc as Tyson Alualu or a floor of someone like Al Woods,” wrote Kozora.
Alualu played six seasons for the Steelers from 2017-22, recording 158 combined tackles, including 16 for loss and 7.5 sacks. Woods spent two years with the Steelers from 2012-13. He had 19 combined tackles with 2 sacks.
Both Alualu and Woods have played at least 12 seasons in the NFL.
With Watts, the Steelers have signed six defensive players this offseason. At linebacker, the team added Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts. In the secondary, the Steelers added cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Keanu Neal.
In addition to Ogunjobi, the Steelers have re-signed safety Deamontae Kazee and cornerback James Pierre.