Steelers: Still Lawrence Timmons after all these years

The Steelers defense has been up, down, and all over the place this year. They entered the year with the lowest of expectations. They turned out to be pretty solid. Now injuries are taking a toll. But one thing remains consistent: Lawrence Timmons.

I’m talking of course about this year but this is true of much of the past decade. Lawrence Timmons has played for the Steelers for 9 seasons. In that time the Steelers have been no strangers to injury trouble but Lawrence Timmons has only missed 2 games back in 2009, due to two separate ankle injuries.

Since the 2007 season Timmons has been a constant presence for the Steelers and even filled in at OLB for a spell. Of his durability, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “That’s just a testament to his conditioning, work ethic, everything else, it’s also a blessing from God.”

Heyward chose to forgo the religious imagery and turn instead to 80s action movies, saying, “He takes really good care of his body,’’ Heyward said. “Lawrence is built like the Terminator. He’s a sound guy you can count on never messing up.”

Timmons made his first pro bowl last year with some helpful lobbying by his teammates but it was not at all the first time he deserved to be there. Any season since and including 2012 were pro bowl worthy.

Unfortunately his ascendance into being a great linebacker was muffled by the simultaneous decent of the Steelers defense. But through that time, and still, Timmons continues to be a lonely bright spot on the Steelers defense.

Now his patience is starting to pay off and players like Heyward, Tuitt, and Shazier are emerging as playmakers around him. Good, bad, improving, or getting worse, Lawrence Timmons is always quietly leading the defense.

As all the attention is paid to who is injured, the secondary, the offensive stars, Heyward’s eye black, Shazier and Tuitt’s emergence, Timmons is once again putting together a pro bowl level season without any fuss or without hardly anyone seeming to notice. This is all the more impressive given the inconsistencies in the line up around him.

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In 2014, Timmons lone pro bowl season he racked up 132 tackles, 2 sacks, no interceptions, and 1 pass defensed. Thus far in 2015, through 7 games he has 54 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 4 passes defensed. Now if we extrapolate this out to 16 games then Timmons projects to have 123.4 tackles, 3.4 sacks, 2.3 sacks, and 9.1 passes defensed.

That leaves him better, nearly twice as much in 3 of the 4 important categories. In tackles he’s less than a mere 9 off. So if last year was a pro bowl season, this year is a pro bowl season.

Timmons said of his own longevity and talent, “In the NFL, you only get a chance at this for so long. You want to be the guy who says you can pretty much do any task that comes your way. That’s something I pride myself in that way.”

Timmons is going to make his 77th straight start against Cincinnati. The longest streak of starts for a 3-4 middle linebacker is by the Steelers own Levon Kirkland. When told of this streak, Timmons said, “That’s impressive, and you know how he played the game. But I’m still young. I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”

Frankly, that’s good to hear. Lawrence Timmons is only 29 years old. He is far from injury prone and is currently in his 9th season in the NFL. He’s a guy who take care of himself and is built for the game. His contract lasts through the 2016 season. He appears to be solidly in his prime right now.

With how deep the Steelers are at inside linebacker with Shazier, Spence, and Williams, and with their move to less 3-4 and more cover 2 the Steelers may be less inclined to keep Timmons once his contract is up or extend it before that. I know, that sounds terrible and we don’t want to think about that but I have to point out the possibility, one more thing he’d have in common with Kirkland.

But, if he’s reasonably priced, even a high reasonable price, and for a reasonable number of years, say 3 or 4, it could definitely be in the cards. The ironic thing here is that even though many Steelers fans call BS on him only making one pro bowl, his regular snubbing by the media and awards giving institutions, is that it might be good for the Steelers in the end.

His under the radar star power could definitely keep Timmons reasonably priced, which is important for the perpetual cap-troubled Steelers. And the fanbase and team being his biggest proponents could definitely persuade him to stick around if 2016 happens to be a big year for inside linebackers.

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Lawrence Timmons is a great inside linebacker and has been a terrific Steeler. He’s a constant on the field. He’s criminally underrated but that could be the very thing that keeps him playing for the Steelers for years to come.