The Steelers are further fortifying their defense in a trade deadline deal with the Packers.
in a trade with the New York Jets on Tuesday. After landing a new receiver, they turned their attention to the defense.
Prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, the Steelers were able to secure a deal to fortify their defense by agreeing to trade for EDGE Preston Smith in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. In exchange for Smith, Pittsburgh is sending a seventh-round pick to Green Bay, according to multiple reports. Smith, 32, is in his sixth season with the Packers, having made 88 starts and featured in 91 total games. This year, he's registered 19 tackles, 2.5 sacks and four QB hits in nine games. He's tallied at least 8.0 sacks in each of the last three seasons, a span in which he also forced five fumbles.
Since 2015, Smith has featured in the most games of any defensive player in the NFL. He'll bring plenty veteran leadership to the Steelers' stalwart defense, where he figures to line up opposite T.J. Watt on the edge. The partnership of Watt and Smith figures to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
Pittsburgh averages 2.4 sacks per game, which ranks 17th in the league. The addition of Smith could help push them into the upper-echelon of pass-rushing units, while also alleviating some of the double teams Watt faces in the trenches.Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints.
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