After missing last season, Stephon Tuitt is walking away from the game. The longtime Steelers defensive end starter announced his retirement Wednesday.
A former second-round pick the Steelers once extended, Tuitt will step away after eight years with the team. He is leaving the game despite having just turned 29 last week. Tuitt’s status had been murky since his full-season absence. The death of Tuitt’s younger brother in a 2021 hit-and-run accident helped influence the veteran defender’s decision.
“I am thankful to have had the opportunity to represent the city of Pittsburgh for the past eight seasons and am blessed to leave this game with my health,” Tuitt said in a statement (Twitter link). “After the tragic loss of my brother Richard, and upon completing my degree from the university of Notre Dame, I know I am being called to move beyond the sport of football.”
Tuitt and Cameron Heyward represented one of the NFL’s top defensive end duos, and the Steelers ensured they would remain together during the late 2010s and early ’20s via Tuitt’s five-year, $60MM extension in 2017. One year (at a $9MM base salary) remained on that deal, with the Steelers tacking void years onto the contract for cap purposes. Because of those void years, Pittsburgh will be tagged with a few million in dead money.
The team will certainly miss Tuitt’s production. He started 79 games as a pro and finished the 2020 season with a career-best 11 sacks. The high-level interior D-lineman played a major role in the Steelers’ late-2010s defensive resurgence. The Steelers led the NFL in sacks from 2017-20. Excepting a 2019 season that ended early due to chest injury, Tuitt was a regular contributor to those squads, teaming with the likes of Heyward, T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree to form the consistently productive pass rush that helped transform the Steelers from their offensively geared “Killer B’s” stretch to a team with a more reliable defense. Tuitt’s sack binge helped Pittsburgh ranked third in scoring defense in 2020, which led to an AFC North crown.
Pittsburgh drafted Tuitt out of Notre Dame in 2014. After he spent most of his rookie year as a backup, the 6-foot-6 defender joined Heyward in the starting lineup. Tuitt registered 6.5 sacks in 2015 and finished his career with 34.5. Although the 3-4 D-end was never a Pro Bowler, Pro Football Focus viewed him as a top-15 interior D-lineman from 2017-20, PFF’s Doug Kyed relays (via Twitter). The eight-year veteran represented a steady presence for the Steelers’ defense. He was the team’s second-longest-tenured player, behind only Heyward.
After a knee injury and the grief over losing his brother sidelined Tuitt for the 2021 season, the team used a third-round pick on Texas A&M defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal in April. The Steelers also return 2020 pickup Chris Wormley, who started 14 games and tallied seven sacks. Heyward’s third Steelers contract runs through the 2024 season.
Underrated player. Solid career
At times it was maddening because you knew how good he could be but he wasn’t always consistent. But once he did put it all together, he was an absolute force. Somewhat like Aaron Smith in that maybe because he was a 3-4 end and didn’t always put up huge sack or tackle numbers, fans didn’t realize how valuable Tuitt was. But opposing teams sure did.
The Aaron smith comparison is spot on
Good for him I suppose. That D-line sure missed him last season.
huge loss.. steelers gotta sign someone. although I guess Chris Wormley qualifies as veteran talent.
steelers defense should still be good, but this changes a lot.. need to bring in a run stopper , and I think they will.
similar situation to Decastro last year where it would’ve been nice to know this earlier in the off-season.
(although I’ll definitely give Tuitt a pass on this one and praise upon retirement)
although a run stopping 3-4 DE aka DT have options available free agents now unlike trying to fill a starting guard position last off-season with decastro actually messing things up.
it’s up to you now, Mr. Khan
Getting him back along with Alualu should’ve helped the run d big time. Getting Alualu back will still help. Worm was okay though. Montravius adams may see a bigger role too. I dont even know if any big name guys are out there.
Suh, Sheldon Richardson, Eddie Goldman are a few off the top of my head. Also Brandon Williams the former Raven. All those guys except Goldman are a little long in the tooth but could help for a year at the right price.
Suh is supposedly a great person just becomes a psycho on the field
side note:
quick question,
what’s the word on Brandon Williams from the Ravens.
I recall a few seasons ago dude GOT PAID,
so just wondering why he’s still available at current (age 33 could have a season left)
Ravens brought in Michael Pierce to fill the void Williams left, choosing to get a little younger (also drafting Travis Jones) and add a little more pass rush ability at the position. For just run stopping ability, Williams is a solid option though and probably has a year or two left.
I’m not sure that Williams is an exact fit for the Steelers’ style, but I absolutely love him as a player. He’s a very classic nose tackle, and I think that the Steelers will need a little more agility from their linemen. He probably wouldn’t be a bad signing, I just think that Pittsburgh needs an end more than a true, good old-fashioned DT.
I actually could see Richardson being a fit, given that he played this position in New York to begin his career, but he is probably not an every down lineman at this point anymore. I believe Malik Jackson is another vet still available. He may be an option.
I think Jack & Alualu will help a good bit in run,
support, I’d like almost any veteran added to the front 3 after witnessing them get pushed around last season without big Tuitt
Good for Tuitt, best of luck to him and hopefully he continues healing. From the Steelers perspective, glad that there’s finally a resolution to the matter and they can now address the position with higher priority moving forward.
There seem to be a lot of Steeler fans around the internet who have been heaping criticism on Tuitt for “dragging this out” and not making a decision earlier.
Screw them. It’s none of our business why he retires, when he retires, or under what circumstances. All the best to you, Stephon, and thank you for an excellent Steeler career.
Can’t imagine the pain this man has gone through. God bless him. And a tip of the hat for finishing his degree and realizing there are other callings in life
That hurt. Solid player.
BTW…”Excepting…” WTH?
Sad to see him go but it seemed inevitable.
No one can predict how another person is going to react to the loss of a loved one. He’s doing what’s best for him and his family. Hope he enjoys retirement
Tuitt and Heyward did a lot together, but they did not represent “one of the NFL’s top defensive end duos.”
Just curious, who are the five that you’d rank higher?
Pick any pair that played those positions.
easily 2 of the best 3-4 DEs in the NFL..
and they played on the same team..
case closed.
I think of them as tackles. No disrespect to how good they are at all.
A tough decision for Stephon to make.
That’s why it is being referred to as drawn out.
After much thinking, praying and discussion,
he finally got
a round TUITT !!