Stephon Tuitt is currently the second-best player on the Steelers

Stephon Tuitt has been magnificent this year and is showing why he is one of the best players on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers had high hopes for defensive lineman, Stephon Tuitt, after taking him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. At 6’5” and 304 pounds with 34 3/4” arms, Tuitt looked the part and had a terrific combination of length, strength, and athleticism coming out of Notre Dame. If not for a foot injury, most believed he would have been a first-round pick.

Tuitt didn’t play a lot to begin his NFL career, as he logged only one start in his rookie season. In his second season, however, at just 22 years old, Tuitt exploded for 54 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, and 12 quarterback hits in just 14 games, according to Pro Football Reference.

Unfortunately, injuries have been the story of his career. Up until 2020, Tuitt has never managed to play more than 14 games in a year beyond his rookie season, and every time we seem to get a glimpse of dominance, his season is cut short. Now, we are finally getting to see what Tuitt can do at full strength and without any lingering injuries.

Tuitt is the second-best player on the Steelers

Last year, Stephon Tuitt was off to a blazing start before a pectoral injury claimed the final 10 games of his 2019 season. However, the big defensive lineman is picking up where he left off and then some.

While Ben Roethlisberger plays the most important position on the football field, it goes without saying that T.J. Watt is the best player on this team with respect to his position. In 2019, many believe that Minkah Fitzpatrick was a close second and Cameron Heyward was once again an All-Pro player.

This year, I’m not sure if there is even an argument to be made for anyone else. Tuitt recently claimed AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his dominant showing against the Baltimore Ravens that included 9 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss, and 3 quarterback hits. Through just 7 games this year, Tuitt has already earned 6.0 sacks and is on pace to crush all of his personal bests:

The Steelers are playing extremely well, collectively, as evidenced by their perfect 7-0 record this year, but Tuitt deserves a great deal of praise for Pittsburgh’s defensive success this year. He has been an unstoppable force in the middle, and you could make a case for him currently being the second-best interior defender in the National Football League (behind Aaron Donald, of course).

Cameron Heyward is still a great football player and the Steelers didn’t make a mistake by signing him to an extension this past offseason. However, it’s hard not to consistently come away with the conclusion that Tuitt is the better player, game after game.

The biggest challenge for Stephon Tuitt has always been staying on the football field. If he can do that, there’s no reason he won’t continue to be one of Pittsburgh’s best players in 2020. He is well on his way to earning All-Pro honors this season.