There was a time at with the Pittsburgh Steelers were regarded as the gold standard for the linebacker position, whether it was on the inside or on the outside, in a 3-4 scheme or a 4-3. Right now, they are just hoping that second-year T.J. Watt can really develop into their next great player at the position, after Ryan Shazier’s injury a year ago.
When the Steelers host the Carolina Panthers tomorrow night, however, they will be facing a duo at inside linebacker that Head Coach Mike Tomlin couldn’t say enough about on Monday during his pre-game press conference: the Pro Bowl pairing of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.