Steelers players who will not be back in Pittsburgh in 2023

Tyson Alualu is on his last legs

Whether by means of retirement or in the odd chance that he signs a one-year deal with another club, you better believe that Tyson Alualu is playing his last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former 10th overall pick by the Jaguars all the way back in 2010 was considered a reach and busted pick early in his career, but he eventually strung together some quality seasons — several of which came in Pittsburgh.

Alualu has had a lengthy, 13-year NFL career (which is a major success in itself), and not much more can be expected of him at this point. Quite frankly, there just isn’t any gas left in the tank. At 35 years old and after a season-ending ankle injury in 2021, this wasn’t totally expected.

So far in 2022, Alualu has been just a shade of his younger self. He is currently grading out as just the 118th-best interior defensive lineman among 121 qualifying players, via Pro Football Focus. Even in a situational role as a backup, the stout run defense and pass rush ability we were used to seeing are almost completely gone at this point.

The Steelers need to get younger along the interior defensive line, and there is simply no incentive to sign Alualu to a contract at age 36 and beyond — especially with the way he has been playing. If Pittsburgh wasn’t so loyal to their players, he probably would have already been released.