Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t ‘want to speculate’ on timetable for Stephon Tuitt’s return
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All the attention given to T.J. Watt’s non-holdout, partial participation in Steelers training camp has overshadowed a similar practice situation for defensive end Stephon Tuitt.
As is the case with Watt, Tuitt has been present at most practices, working individually on the side and doing lots of conditioning. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler also said Wednesday that Tuitt has been a regular at team meetings. But Tuitt hasn’t been a part of team drills.
In 2020, only three defensive players had more than 10 sacks in the AFC: Watt (15), Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (12) and Tuitt (11).
Factor in Tuitt’s ability to blow up an opposing run game and his absence shouldn’t be viewed as a second-tier concern to anyone. Getting him on the field in time for the season opener in Buffalo on Sept. 12 should be every bit the priority that it is for Watt.
But the circumstances are very different.
In Watt’s case, the issue is money. He and the Steelers simply need to come to terms on a contract. That’s something most media members nationally and around the team seem to think will happen before the Bills game, thus abiding by the organization’s long-held rule of avoiding contract negotiations once the season begins.
For Tuitt, he is trying to emotionally get beyond the death of his brother, Richard Bartlett III, who was killed in an apparent vehicular hit-and-run incident on June 4.
Beyond whatever emotional scars Tuitt may be dealing with, those who cover the team have been left to wonder if Tuitt has been struggling to get into game-ready physical shape due to the mental drain he’s had to endure. Also needing to be considered, is whatever workout time he may have lost while supporting his family in the wake of his brother’s death.
That’s to say nothing of any football or training-related injuries that may be present.
Tuitt hasn’t addressed his status since training camp began. When head coach Mike Tomlin was asked on Wednesday if he had a timetable as to when Tuitt might be back, he simply responded, “No, I don’t want to speculate.”
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler was a bit more forthcoming a few hours later.
“When is he coming back? When we need him to come back,” Butler said. “Does he need to come back and get in shape and stuff like that? Sure, he does. But we are not concerned about it right now. Hopefully next week we’ll get him back. We’ll see.”
It’s unclear what Butler meant by “need.” Does that mean in time for practices before the Buffalo game? In time for the game against the Bills itself? The home stretch of the season? The playoffs?
Butler’s answer was open-ended — and was likely intended to be out of deference to Tuitt’s emotional well-being.
In the days leading up to the Steelers’ third preseason game last Saturday against the Detroit Lions, fellow defensive end Cameron Heyward said he had no concerns about Tuitt’s ability to be up to speed in time to play the Bills.
During Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, TribLIVE Steelers beat writer Joe Rutter wasn’t as confident.
“At this stage right now, I don’t expect him to be on the 53 (man roster),” Rutter said. “I don’t know what kind of exempt list they have, or what they can do. If there is a (type of) injured reserve (that can be used). I just don’t see him being ready to start this season healthy on this roster. I think you are going to have Chris Wormley in there a lot for that reason.”
Rutter thinks going from moderate individual workouts to a Week 1 road showdown against the 2020 AFC Championship runner-up with just a few practices in between may be a gap too wide for Tuitt to cross given his circumstances.
“He hasn’t even been on the field the last few days,” Rutter said. “So you have to wonder what kind of conditioning that he has. Can he get himself in football shape that fast for a game that’s less than three weeks away?
“He is going through a very difficult thing. Maybe his mind isn’t into it. That’s understandable. I’m not blaming him one bit. But for the team’s sake, they’ve got to make preparations to go with Chris Wormley. Or go with a lot of nickel with (Tyson) Alualu and Cam Heyward on the defensive line.”
Wormley only played 14% of the Steelers snaps in 2020, his first year with the team after playing three years with the Baltimore Ravens. However, Tomlin was talking him up before practice Wednesday.
“He’s done a great job with the additional reps that he’s gotten, but we’re not surprised by that,” Tomlin said. “He’s been a part of us, and we re-signed him in the offseason because of that expertise.”
In our podcast, Rutter and I talk more about Tuitt’s status. Plus, we examine the decision to start Dwayne Haskins against the Panthers, the potential impact of this year’s rookie class, and the latest thinking that may go into figuring out how the Steelers will address the nickel and dime sub-packages in the secondary.