Stephon Tuitt has been a vastly underrated player for most of his career. Here’s why the Steelers defender may also possess the best contract on the roster.
If you’ve followed along with my work over the years, then you already know that I can never find enough good things to say about Stephon Tuitt. I simply don’t understand how this man seems to fly under the radar every year.
Tuitt was off to an electric start to the season in 2019 prior to tearing his pectoral muscle and landing on Injured Reserve. Last season, he was equally impressive – earning 11.0 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, and 25 quarterback hits in 15 games, according to Pro Football Reference. However, despite being one of the most productive interior defenders in the NFL, Tuitt managed to be snubbed of Pro Bowl honors in 2020.
However, Tuitt’s play isn’t the only thing about him that is underrated. He also has one of the best contracts in the NFL. Recently, Pro Football Focus’s Brad Spielberger ranked the top-32 contracts in the NFL. He had Tuitt at 26th. Spielberger notes that Tuitt receives far less attention than he deserves.
Why Tuitt’s contract is such a bargain for Steelers
Tuitt signed a five-year, $60 million contract with Pittsburgh back in September of 2017, according to Over the Cap. Despite his dominance over the past few seasons, Tuitt is just the 12th-highest-paid interior defender in the league with an annual cap number of just $12 million per season.
Let’s put this into perspective. Some of the interior defenders who are currently making more money per year than Tuitt include Grady Jarrett, D.J. Reader, and former teammate, Javon Hargrave.
Additionally, there are a few interior defenders making nearly twice as much as Stephon Tuitt including DeForest Buckner, Leonard Williams, and Chris Jones. Though you could make the case that these three players may be slightly better than Tuitt, they certainly aren’t worth nearly twice as much as Tuitt, and all three are making between $21-22 million per year, according to Over the Cap.
When comparing Stephon Tuitt’s contract to other players on the team, it’s hard to make the case that anyone has a better contract (outside of players on their rookie deals, of course). Ben Roethlisberger still has a massive cap number of $26 million despite taking a pay cut and the Steelers setting up voidable years on his deal after the 2021 season. Meanwhile, Cameron Heyward’s $16.4 million in yearly value is substantially more for a player who is 4 years older and far less productive in 2020. Even an old Joe Haden has a $15.5 million cap hit this year, and he’s not on the same level as Tuitt as a football player.
Though he’s never gotten the recognition he deserves, Stephon Tuitt manages to be a terrific player with a great contract. The Pittsburgh Steelers will really have a chance to get their money’s worth out of him over the next two seasons before Tuitt will need a new deal.