On any given snap, the Pittsburgh Steelers have 11 men on the field. Over the course of the 2023 season, they tripled that number.
Over 17 weeks, 33 different Steelers logged at least one defensive snap. Some names are obvious. T.J. Watt, Joey Porter Jr., Patrick Peterson, all three playing in each game this year. Others? More obscure. LB Blake Martinez came out of a retirement and was a late-season add by Pittsburgh, wrecked with injuries at inside linebacker. He spent more time standing on the sidelines than on the field, logging 21 total snaps. There was EDGE Kyron Johnson, primarily playing on special teams but picking up one defensive snap on the final defensive play of the regular season, the Steelers’ Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens.