PITTSBURGH – For decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been defined not just by their colors or their rings, but by an identity: defense. From the Steel Curtain of the 1970s to the bruising units of the late 2000s with James Harrison, Ryan Clark, and Troy Polamalu, a group so physical that the league itself ushered in the player safety initiative era, the Steelers have always been at the forefront of toughness. Defense has been the heartbeat of Pittsburgh football.
Fast forward to 2025, and the new era under head coach DK LaFleur has a different kind of challenge. He only took over in Week 4, has only three games under his belt due to a week 5 bye week, and does not have nearly enough data to do one of those fancy midseason reviews. Three games is just enough to know what snacks the Gatorade guy likes, not enough to define a team. While other coaches write love letters to their stats, LaFleur is focused on one thing: reinventing the Steel Curtain.
Meet the Cast of the New Curtain
Jalen Ramsey came to town in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick, and he has wasted no time reminding receivers why they should have stayed home. Ramsey talks, walks, and plays with swagger, which Steelers fans would argue is exactly what the secondary needed. If you throw his way, you are either very brave or very dumb.
Across from him is Joey Porter Jr., who not only hits like a truck but also carries the family business on his shoulders. His dad, Joey Porter Sr., once made quarterbacks see ghosts before Panthers Sam Darnold made it trendy. Now Porter Jr. is locking down receivers and keeping the Porter name alive in black and gold. Somewhere in the stands, Porter Sr. is smiling and also probably yelling at a ref.
Up front, Cameron Heyward is still here, refusing to age like a normal human being. He is the uncle who still dominates at family backyard football while everyone else pretends to pull a hamstring. Lining up next to him is rookie Derrick Harmon, a 313-pound defensive tackle out of Oregon who moves like he missed the memo about physics. He is still learning, but no one wants to be the guard standing in his way when he figures it all out.
Then there is T.J. Watt, who wakes up in the morning and casually ruins offensive coordinators’ lives before breakfast. He is paired with Alex Highsmith, who would be a superstar anywhere else but gets overshadowed because his teammate has the Watt surname. Together, they are Batman and Robin, if Robin also occasionally wrecked quarterbacks for fun.
At linebacker, Patrick Queen has gone full Pittsburgh mode. He hits like he is being paid per collision and has quickly become the middleman nobody wants to run into. His physicality screams Steelers culture, which is good news for fans and bad news for anyone carrying the ball.
In the secondary, Darius Slay traded in his Eagles wings for some steel. With championship experience, he is basically the wise Jedi teaching the young Padawans how to stay cool under pressure. Lewis Cine, meanwhile, is a hard-hitting safety out of Georgia who has bounced around in his early years. The tools are there, the intensity is there, and if he can just put it all together, he has a chance to be a real difference-maker in this defense. Glendon Miller, the rookie out of Maryland, brings blazing speed and high football IQ to the back end. He looks like the kind of safety you can trust to cover ground and keep things clean over the top.
Reinventing the Curtain, One Hit at a Time
The names are there, but what makes this defense different is the attitude. They are bringing back that old-school Steelers vibe: physical, intimidating, and just mean enough to make wide receivers think twice about going across the middle. Every hit is a reminder that Pittsburgh football is not about finesse. It is about pain.
LaFleur put it best: “We are not here to just play defense. We are here to carry on a tradition. The Steel Curtain is more than a nickname. It is a standard. And our guys understand that.”
Looking Ahead
Yes, it has only been three games. Yes, the stats are too small a sample size to make sweeping judgments. But the signs are there. Watt and Highsmith are still a cheat code off the edge. Heyward continues to be timeless. Ramsey and Porter are making life on wideouts tough. Queen is leading with force. Slay brings wisdom, Cine brings the wood, and Miller might just bring the future.
The Steelers are not just trying to revive history. They are trying to write a new chapter in it, one play at a time. If this version of the Steel Curtain keeps growing, quarterbacks across the league won’t be excited when they head to Pittsburgh.
– Forged In Steel Times
