Steelers' newest addition nearly came a lot sooner than expected
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently signed veteran pass rusher Markus Golden in an effort to beef up the depth at the edge position. And while there are often connections between players and other teams, Golden has been on the eye of the Steelers for some time. As you would imagine, Mike Tomlin played a big role […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently signed veteran pass rusher Markus Golden in an effort to beef up the depth at the edge position.
And while there are often connections between players and other teams, Golden has been on the eye of the Steelers for some time.
As you would imagine, Mike Tomlin played a big role in his acquisition, with the two going way back:
Golden was a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. The heady veteran would go on to have multiple stints with the team, returning to the desert and recording double-digit sacks as recently as 2021.
But before Golden was a Steeler, a Giant, or even a Cardinal, he was a Missouri Tiger and a top 60 prospect, evident by his draft positioning in the middle of round two. The Cardinals weren't the only ones interested, as Mike Tomlin and the Steelers had coveted Golden as well:
"Did you know Mike Tomlin coming out of the draft?" Asked ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor. "Did you meet him through the process?"
"Yes, I did!" Emphasized Golden. "I actually got to have dinner with him back at Mizzou when he came to visit the pro day. So yeah, we kept in contact. Every time we played each other I would say what's up to him, so I'm happy to be here."
And not only is Golden happy to be in Black and Gold, he understands what he was brought in for, and what his ensuing role with the team will be. When asked about his job description, he offered the following:
"Whatever coach wants me to do, I’m going to be ready to come in and hunt and do what the team needs me to do,” Golden told Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I’m all about winning at the end of the day.”
Golden is seemingly all on board with a rotational pass rush role, spelling T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith as needed, and potentially being used as a designated rusher on down and distance. When asked about why he joined the Steelers given no assurances of his snaps, Golden answered:
“I don’t need all that,” he said. “I know how football is. You can sit here and tell somebody anything. At the end of the day, I know how football is. Anything can happen. What I’m going to do is go hard every day, come to work every day, learn from these guys. When the time comes, whether I play one play or if I play 30 plays, I’m going to go hard on all those plays.”
So while this relationship may have taken the scenic route to get to the end goal. Both sides seem excited about the prospects of the season. Hopefully, everything stays cordial heading into the holidays.
Featured image via: © Rob Schumacher/The Republic, Arizona Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC
