We might’ve said it before: The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the worst defenses in the league, with Teryl Austin’s unit sitting near the bottom of the league. There’s a lot to unpack, but the biggest issue is pretty clear: that shaky pass defense. The reasons, however, aren’t exactly a mystery: An aging secondary and a handful of injuries.

So, it makes you wonder: could Mike Tomlin and the Steelers look to the trade market for some help? Nothing’s official yet, but former NFL defensive end and current analyst Leger Douzable floated an interesting idea: A move for Kristian Fulton, the corner currently with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Kristian Fulton,” Douzable started, “we talked about how the secondary is old in Pittsburgh, and you’ll be able to, I know, he just signed there (Chiefs) this offseason, but you’ll be able to get off that contract if you’re the Kansas City Chiefs. And they have leaned towards their younger guys. Nohl Williams has played well.

“But my thing is if he’s (Fulton) finally healthy now, he can definitely help that secondary because they have so much age on that secondary. He’s only 27 years old. Besides Joey Porter, he’ll probably be the youngest guy in that secondary room. So they’ve struggled mightily with their pass defense. I think Kristian Fulton will be highly motivated if he is traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

Let’s talk about what it is. The Steelers’ pass defense has been struggling through the first eight weeks of this season. Mike Tomlin’s team is the 30th in total defense (308.7) and has the worst pass defense in the league (273.3 passing yards per game). And that is after being the highest-paid unit in the league.

This is why Joe Flacco managed to complete 31-of-47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Week 7, while Jordan Love torched the defense with 29-of-37 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns. On top of that, safety DeShon Elliott is dealing with a knee injury and is considered “week-to-week,” according to Tomlin.

On the flip side, age has also been a concern for the Steelers’ secondary. Elliot is 28, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers are 30, Brandin Echols is 28, and James Pierre is 29, with Joey Porter Jr. being the youngest at 25. With that in mind, Douzable believes the Steelers desperately need to inject some youth into their secondary. His suggestion? Pittsburgh should consider trading for Fulton before the November 4 deadline. The only wrinkle, though?

Fulton signed a two-year $20 million contract with the Chiefs earlier this offseason after spending four seasons with the Tennessee Titans and last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, he was sidelined last week against the Washington Commanders due to an ankle injury.

Per Douzable, if he gets healthy soon enough, Mike Tomlin and Co. could consider making a move. Will they? Won’t they? That remains to be seen amidst a persisting defensive struggle.

Can Mike Tomlin be more involved in the Steelers’ defense?

Mike Tomlin’s defensive unit was supposed to do historic things this season. However, everything went south after eight weeks into the season. Which makes everyone wonder: can Tomlin make a mid-season change on the coaching staff, like firing the defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin?

It’s unlikely at the moment, given that the Steelers are not well known for making mid-season coaching changes. However, Steelers’ beat reporter, Nick Farabaugh, believes that Coach Tomlin could get involved more in the defensive play-calling duties.

“I talk to players, that’s who (Austin) they got to get the adjustments done, not Mike T (Tomlin). Teryl Austin,” Farabaugh said on 93.7 The Fan, when Joe Starkey pointed out that Austin has the play-calling duties. “So if you have any suggestions to go to Teryl Austin, that tells me he’s got at least the duty on game day.

“…I think, there’s this kind of idea out there at points that you know moving on from TA (Austin) would do nothing. And I don’t really agree with that. I think it would bring a fresh voice. There’s even an argument to be made that maybe Mike T needs to get more involved. I think, you know, just to see what that looks like.”

Farabaugh’s point is clear: If the Steelers couldn’t fire their DC, expect Tomlin to get involved in the play-calling duties. After all, they’ve allowed more than 300 yards in most of the games this season, including the last couple of games. We’ll see how things work out ahead of the Week 9 game.