Steelers next man up mantra will be tested with Stephon Tuitt’s retirement

Stephon Tuitt Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Stephon Tuitt Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

The Steelers defense suffered a major blow with the announcement of Stephon Tuitt’s retirement. Here’s how will the ‘next man up’ mantra be tested.

Make no mistake, this one is going to have ripple effects throughout the Steelers defense — effects that I hope will be able to be mitigated. Stephon Tuitt, our second-round draft pick in the 2014 draft out of Notre Dame, has decided to walk away from football.

The ‘next man up’ mantra that has been a consistent theme for the Steelers not only under the leadership of Mike Tomlin but under the leadership of the two Hall of Fame coaches who preceded him. I think the difference between the current iteration of the Steelers and previous iterations is this:  We may not have an ‘in-house’ replacement for Tuitt.

During the Steel Curtain days (which I remember fondly), if one of our starters was out due to an injury, the backup stepped in and played as well and, sometimes, better than the starter. That wasn’t always the case, but the point is this: whoever the backup was played up to the expectation that Chuck Noll had for every player, starter or backup.

While we have had some quality backups under Tomlin, if I am being objective, I don’t think one player will be able to just step in and play as well, if not better than Tuitt played.  No knock on any current player but replacing the quality of play of Tuitt may require multiple players to step up to fill that role.

Steelers need a committee to fill Tuitt’s shoes

As I stated above, I don’t think one player will be able to step in and play up to the caliber with which Tuitt played, hence the reason I said that the ‘next man up’ mantra will be tested this season.  The Steelers may honestly have to explore trade options, but I don’t know if we are at that point yet.

So, let’s assume we decide to find ‘in-house’ candidates to replace Tuitt. If you look at the roster as it is currently constructed, the most likely candidates would be Isaiahh Loudermilk, who will be entering his second season, and perhaps DeMarvin Leal, who is a rookie.  We do have three veterans on the roster who are listed as defensive tackles who could play the defensive end position, I suppose.

We also have two veterans who are listed as defensive linemen who could also probably play the DE’ position but take a look at the roster yourself and tell me who is the ‘plug and play’ person. The reality is this: someone (or perhaps more than one player) will have to step up.  Unless the Steelers trade for a veteran, who may be a bit pricy, there are no other options.

Well, I suppose there is another option.  We could wait to see who gets released.  If we’re lucky, we will be able to scoop up someone who can turn into the next Tuitt, but the chances of that happening are slim, in my opinion.

The other very stark reality is this: The Steelers defense finished dead last in rushing yards allowed per game in 2021.  Think about that for a minute and let that resonate.  When was the last time a Steelers defense finished last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed? I honestly don’t remember, and I have been watching the Steelers play for forty-four plus years.

Like many other topics we discuss, only time will tell if we will be able to replace Tuitt ‘in-house’ with one player, ‘in-house’ with multiple players or if we will have to entertain a trade for a veteran, who, again, might be a bit pricy and we all know how that usually turns out.

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