The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of stars that routinely receive recognition from the media. Stephon Tuitt needs to be one of them.
Like it or not, every NFL team has stars who hog the spotlight in both the local and national media. The Chiefs, for example, have players star players like Tyreke Hill, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and Frank Clark who are frequently highlighted by the media, and obviously, Patrick Mahomes is one of the most talked-about players in football. The Steelers are no exception to the mold.
While quarterbacks are often at the forefront of attention due to their sizable role in the outcome of the game, Pittsburgh has a number of other players who are routinely recognized for their play on the football field. T.J. Watt has been the star of the show for the Steelers so far in 2020, while players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Heyward are often brought up in conversations about the team.
Most recently, Chase Claypool is the name that has emerged as a hot topic in Pittsburgh after his dominant four-touchdown performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.
But what about Stephon Tuitt? How could a player that has been so good constantly get lost in the shuffle?
Why Steelers DL Stephon Tuitt deserves far more recognition
We all know how frustrating it can be to see Stephon Tuitt suffer injury after injury, year after year. After seven years in the NFL, Tuitt’s last fully healthy season came all the way back in his rookie year in 2014 when he played all 16 games. Since then, Tuitt has had his season cut short in every other year – missing a total of 20 games over the past five seasons.
It’s typically true that the ‘best ability is availability,’ but I might make an exception when it comes to Tuitt. When healthy, we have seen plenty of examples of dominance from the big defensive lineman – particularly since 2018.
Here’s a look at how well Tuitt has produced over the past two seasons:
Stephon Tuitt in his last 9 full games:
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) October 14, 2020
7.0 sacks
9 TFL
16 QB hits
20 pressures
In his last 16 games:
10.5 sacks
14 TFL
28 QB hits
35 pressures
We need to start talking about this man as one of the best interior defenders in the league when healthy. #Steelers @DOCnation_7
These numbers are comparable to a player like Chris Jones and they are better than players like DeForest Buckner, Fletcher Cox, and Grady Jarrett over that same time span. Considering that all four of the aforementioned defensive lineman are among the 6 highest-paid interior defenders in the NFL (between $17-21 million per season, according to Over the Cap), I’d say that’s quite the accomplishment.
As it stands, Stephon Tuitt is on track for a 14.0-sack season in addition to crushing his personal bests in tackles for a loss, pressures, and quarterback hits. In addition, he is outpacing All-Pro teammate, Cameron Heyward, in every single statistical department with the exception of pass defenses and interceptions.
This is truly remarkable. I know you can't really prorate stats, but this is what the #Steelers top four pass rushers are on the pace for, assuming they play all 16 games in 2020:
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) October 14, 2020
They've been outstanding to this point. pic.twitter.com/vC3f03tr5g
We know Stephon Tuitt has an immense amount of talent thanks to his incredible combination of strength, length, and athleticism for a player of his size. Tuitt turned just 27 years old before this past spring and his best football is still in front of him. It’s time to start talking about him as one of the best defensive linemen in the league when healthy. He deserves more recognition.