PITTSBURGH — A good defense won't get it done for the Steelers this season. In a year where they are breaking in a new quarterback, only great will do.
And for the money they're shelling out — a league-high $116 million dedicated toward the defense, according to spotrac.com — great is what they better get.
Most of the cash is wrapped into three players, one at each level of the unit — Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who signed a record-setting $84.224 million contract Wednesday. He is now the highest-paid safety in the NFL, as measured by annual salary ($18.4 million).
