Stephon Tuitt - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Tuitt, Loudermilk

June 3rd, 2022 at 10:34pm CST by Ely Allen

As Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick enters the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, the 25-year-old is looking for an extension from the team that acquired him via trade three years ago. According to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, Fitzpatrick is a likely candidate to perform a “hold-in” if he doesn’t have a new contract by training camp.

As opposed to the traditional contract hold-out, a “hold-in” would see Fitzpatrick attend training camp while not participating in any serious manner. Due to rules in the new CBA, a player has to be fined $50,000 per day for skipping training camp. Fitzpatrick’s teammate, defensive end T.J. Watt, performed the same inactive action last year.

Here are a few other rumors from the Steel City:

Defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt‘s retirement this past week has some effect on the Steelers’ cap spending in the next few years, according to a separate article from Kaboly. As a post-June 1 designation, the Steelers will save just over $9MM against the cap this year. Because they put voidable years into Tuitt’s contract last year to spread out his cap hit, though, they will still accrue dead money of $4.9MM this year and $4.8MM next season. They do have the option to recoup a portion of Tuitt’s signing bonus from the contract’s initiation, but Pittsburgh has never pursued this course of action with any other players who took early retirements, so it’s unlikely they will do so with the grieving Tuitt.
One of the places Pittsburgh will look to replace Tuitt is internally. According to a third Kaboly-article, the Steelers have some hope that last year’s fifth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, Isaiahh Loudermilk, will be able to replace some of the retired defensive lineman’s production. Other internal options are Tyson Alualu, Chris Wormley, and 2022 third-round pick DeMarvin Leal. Alualu is coming off a broken ankle, Wormley struggles against the run, and Leal is unproven and a tad undersized. Loudermilk saw plenty of action last year and proved himself as a sure run-defender, while struggling to create any pass-rush. Since the Steelers have pass-rushers aplenty in Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Cameron Heyward, being a stout run-defender might make Loudermilk the perfect option to take Tuitt’s snaps.

Steelers DL Stephon Tuitt Retires

June 1st, 2022 at 1:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

AFC Rumors: Browns, Steelers, Chargers, Walker

May 21st, 2022 at 9:01pm CST by Ely Allen

In the 2021 NFL Draft, Cleveland had every intention of drafting Florida kicker Evan McPherson at No. 153 overall, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Unfortunately for the Browns, division-rival Cincinnati beat them to the punch, drafting McPherson four spots earlier. McPherson had an impressive rookie-season, converting 28 of 33 field goals and 46 of 48 extra points in the regular season, as well as going a perfect 14 of 14 on field goals and 6 of 6 on extra points in the Bengals’ Super Bowl run.

Afraid of watching another top kicker succeed elsewhere, Cleveland jumped at the opportunity to take this years’ best boot, LSU’s Cade York, at No. 124 overall. After missing four extra points and six field goals in his freshman year, York was perfect on extra points and only missed six-combined field goals in his last two seasons at LSU. York might be forgiven for his four missed extra points in 2019, as Joe Burrow and the Tigers’ championship-winning offense forced him to attempt an insane 93 extra points that year. His leg was probably pretty worn out. For comparison, he only attempted 75 extra points over the next two seasons.

Time will tell if the Browns spent a fourth-round pick to ensure a homerun addition or if the Browns’ fear of missing out yet again led to them jumping the gun and over-valuing the only kicker taken in the Draft.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC, starting with a rumor from the Steel City:

Pittsburgh spent the 2021 NFL season without defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt due to both a knee injury suffered early in training camp and the grief of losing his brother during OTAs. The assumption, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, is that Tuitt’s knee is healed after a year, but the fact that he remained absent due to personal issues (according to the team) is the larger concern. If healthy, can Tuitt find the will to return to the field? Another potential absence before mandatory minicamp is the Steelers’ top receiver from last year, Diontae Johnson. Johnson is pushing for a contract extension and all signs point to him not showing up until absolutely necessary. Ideally, they would like their number one wideout to start building chemistry with new quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, but there’s no need to panic until he decides to hold out from training camp.
Offensive tackle Drew Himmelman recently found himself heading to Washington after hitting the waiver wire. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Chargers put in a waiver claim on Himmelman but didn’t have the priority. This is the second time this week that Los Angeles failed to add some offensive line depth after they, and the Commanders, failed to obtain now-Jaguars’ offensive guard Wes Martin, who was waived by the Giants. The Chargers were able to add Boston College’s Zion Johnson and Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer to a line that returns starters Rashawn Slater, Corey Linsley, Storm Norton, and Matt Feiler through the Draft, but they clearly want to bring more competition to camp in order to build the best offensive line possible to protect their young quarterback.
No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker spent most of his time in Athens rotating around the defensive line. So far in minicamp, though, according to Jaguars Senior Writer John Oehser, Walker has been seeing work at one position: outside linebacker. This is part of head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke‘s plan to help develop Walker, focusing first on outside linebacker work before eventually utilizing his versatility around the line. Not only did Walker’s work at linebacker focus on pass rushing, he also worked with outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey on dropping back into coverage. Jacksonville appears happy with Walker’s development so far and will look forward to seeing his full potential as he continues to learn and grow.

Steelers Notes: Colbert, QB Search, More

February 21st, 2022 at 12:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

When speaking to the media on Monday, outgoing Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert provided an update on a number of topics, beginning with his personal plans. As Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter), he is unlikely to completely retire once his successor is named.

Specifically, Colbert said, “I may or may not have a role” with the franchise after his contract expires following the draft. Dulac adds that the 65-year-old made his intention to step down clear last May, noting that “it was time from a personal standpoint, it was time from a professional standpoint”. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor tweets that Colbert is helping with the search for the new GM, which is primarily taking place before March 1st because teams can block candidates from interviewing after that date.

With regards to the top offseason priority in Pittsburgh – the search for a new starting quarterback – Colbert repeated the team’s public support of Mason Rudolph. “We have confidence that Mason, if we started today, would be our starter and we’re excited to see where that can go”, he said (Twitter link via Dulac). Rudolph holds a record of 5-4-1 as a starter after being a third round pick in 2018.

Here are some other Steelers notes, including more on the QB situation:

Colbert made it clear that the team, as expected, will place an RFA tender on Dwayne Haskins. That will leave the Steelers with two incumbent signal callers, but Colbert said “we know we’re going to add to the position” in the offseason, adding that “we will go to camp with four” (Twitter link via Pryor). He didn’t specify what avenue the team could take to acquire other options, but they are expected to be active in any regard.
Dulac tweets that Colbert acknowledged the unusually flexible position the team is in with regards to cap space, though he stressed that they traditionally don’t spend as much as other teams on the open market. He did, however, seem to “leave [the] door open to spend” this March.
Pryor reports that the Steelers are open to retaining defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt for next year, the final one on his current contract (Twitter link). The 28-year-old missed the entire 2021 season with a knee injury, and is scheduled to have a cap hit of just under $14MM next year. He has 34.5 sacks in seven seasons, all with the Steelers.
Finally, Pryor tweets that Pittsburgh has yet to decide whether or not they will pick up linebacker Devin Bush‘s fifth year option. “I think Devin Bush will be a better player in 2022”, Colbert said, referring to his recovery from a torn ACL. It had previously been reported that the team wasn’t picking up the option, but doing so would leave a significant hole in the middle of the team’s defense.

Steelers Place DL Stephon Tuitt On IR

September 1st, 2021 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers will not have one half of their longtime defensive end duo to start the season. Stephon Tuitt will begin the year on IR.

Tuitt has battled a knee injury this summer. This move will sideline the eighth-year defensive lineman for at least the season’s first three games. The Steelers carried Tuitt through to their 53-man roster, but he will not be able to join Cameron Heyward and Co. in uniform until at least October.

Last season marked a return from a separate injury for Tuitt, who saw his 2019 slate end early because of a chest malady. Tuitt returned to have his best year as a pass rusher. The former second-round pick posted 11 sacks and 25 QB hits last season, helping the Steelers to an 11-0 start and the AFC North title.

Pittsburgh also placed offensive tackle Zach Banner and running back Anthony McFarland on IR Wednesday. After missing 15 games last season, Banner was in line to begin this year as the team’s right tackle starter. Those plans will be on hold. Banner began last season as the team’s right tackle but suffered a torn ACL in Week 1. Both players will also be eligible to return in Week 4.

To fill these roster spots, the Steelers brought back O-linemen B.J. Finney and Rashaad Coward, along with cornerback Arthur Maulet. Pittsburgh cut each on Tuesday.

COVID-19 Latest: Ravens, Tuitt, Colts

December 5th, 2020 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Multiple standout defensive linemen will be back in action in Week 13, and although the Ravens still have several players on their reserve/COVID-19 list, their roster is no longer as depleted as it was Wednesday.

Baltimore’s coronavirus list still houses 10 players, including Lamar Jackson, but the team will have multiple starters back at practice soon. The Ravens activated Calais Campbell, Mark Ingram and defensive lineman Jihad Ward from their virus list. Ingram was eligible to play against the Steelers on Wednesday, but the Ravens held him out. A five-time Pro Bowler, Campbell has not played since Nov. 8 due to a calf strain.
The 11-0 Steelers will have Stephon Tuitt back in action when they face Washington on Monday. They activated the seventh-year starter from their reserve/COVID list. Three Steelers remain on the virus list, including starters James Conner and Maurkice Pouncey.
Pricey trade acquisition DeForest Buckner came off the Colts‘ virus list as well. Buckner landed on Indianapolis’ COVID list after testing positive for the virus in late November. The Colts, who allowed the Titans to rush for 229 yards in Buckner’s absence last week, also removed Jonathan Taylor from their virus list.
The Ravens announced Saturday that four strains of the coronavirus were present in their building. While the team believes it contained three of those strains, the fourth ended up spreading to the point it forced the NFL to postpone the team’s Steelers rematch three times. Ten straight days commenced with at least one Raven testing positive for the virus, and the team had as many as 23 players on its reserve/COVID list at the height of the outbreak. Four straight days, however, have passed without a Ravens positive test.

Ravens, Steelers Place 3 Players On Reserve/COVID-19 List

November 27th, 2020 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:52pm: While a sixth straight day did produce a Ravens positive coronavirus test, just one player’s test came back positive Friday. Practice squad offensive lineman Will Holden tested positive, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Holden will become the 15th player on Baltimore’s reserve/COVID-19 list. This will continue to be the NFL situation to monitor over the next few days.

3:28pm: The Ravens and Steelers each moved three players to their respective reserve/COVID-19 lists Friday. This comes shortly after the NFL pushed the AFC North’s top rivalry back to Tuesday night.

Stephon Tuitt, defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins are now on the Steelers’ virus list, while the Ravens moved fullback Patrick Ricard, long snapper Morgan Cox and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike to theirs. Lamar Jackson also landed on Baltimore’s COVID list. The reigning MVP tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday; Ricard confirmed (via Twitter) he tested positive as well.

For the Ravens, this increases their COVID list to 14 players — including key cogs Jackson, Ricard, Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Matt Skura, Pernell McPhee, Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins. This concerning number resulted in the NFL moving the Ravens-Steelers rematch for a second time. The 7pm Tuesday slot, however, represents conceivably the final Week 12 window for this game. Another delay would test the NFL in a way previous virus issues have not.

It is not known if Tuitt tested positive. If he did not, he could still play Tuesday. Depending on when the standout defensive lineman’s last contact with a COVID-19-positive person occurred, he could still be activated in time for the Steelers’ Tuesday game. With the NFL moving Week 13’s Ravens-Cowboys game to Monday, Dec. 7, Jackson could be activated. Had the NFL kept that game on Thursday — which it will if the Steelers-Ravens tilt cannot be played Tuesday — Jackson would have been ineligible to return for that contest.

Steelers’ Stephon Tuitt Done For Year

October 14th, 2019 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Stephon Tuitt left Sunday night’s game midway through, and he’ll miss the rest of the season due to the chest injury he suffered. The Steelers fear they may be without one of their long-tenured defensive ends for a while, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (video link) the team has concern Tuitt suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

Surgery is ahead for the sixth-year veteran as he watches the Steelers from a distance. It all has to be extra frustrating for Tuitt as his Steelers are 2-4 through six games.

Tuitt and Cameron Heyward have served as Pittsburgh’s defensive end starters for the past five seasons. Both are playing on high-end extensions and play key roles for a Steelers team that’s seen productivity from its pass rush this season. Tuitt was on pace to eclipse his single-season sack high (6.5 in 2015), having recorded 3.5 in six Steelers contests.

Heyward and Tuitt exited Week 6 as the NFL’s fourth- and sixth-best interior defenders, per Pro Football Focus, so losing the former second-round pick is a considerable blow for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has veteran backup Tyson Alualu and sixth-round rookie Isaiah Buggs as backup defensive ends. Alualu would be the next man up opposite Heyward.

Beyond this year, the 6’6″, 303-pound lineman still has three seasons to go on his contract with a 2020 cap hit of $14.9MM.

Steelers Restructure Stephon Tuitt’s Deal

July 30th, 2019 at 8:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have converted $5.195MM of defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt’s $6M base salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The move will create $3.9MM in desperately needed cap space for the Steelers.

Heading into Tuesday, the Steelers had just $1.091MM in breathing room, the lowest in the NFL. Now that the Steelers have roughly $5MM in space, the Broncos (~$4.8MM) have the least amount of cap room in the league.

Tuitt, 26, registered 5.5 sacks and 45 total tackles in 14 games last season. A full-time starter since 2015, Tuitt has 20 sacks to his credit, but has yet to play a full 16-game slate since joining the first string.

Last year, Tuitt agreed to a similar contract adjustment in order to accommodate the Steelers.

North Notes: McCarthy, Lions, Tuitt, Ravens

November 16th, 2018 at 4:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike McCarthy‘s enjoyed the benefit of coaching two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and the Packers have qualified for nine playoff brackets in the coach’s 12 previous seasons. But with the team in danger of missing the NFC bracket for the second straight season, McCarthy appears to be firmly on the hot seat. The 13th-year Green Bay coach’s job status is “pretty clearly” uncertain regarding 2019, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). McCarthy signed a one-year extension to take him through the ’19 season, so the team isn’t committed long-term here. He’s now reporting to team president Mark Murphy under the post-Ted Thompson power structure, and with Brian Gutekunst now GM, different voices will have a say if McCarthy will be brought back.

“That’s the job. That’s the way this business has gone,” McCarthy said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, when asked about his status. “I’m not going to get into comparables, but at the end of the day that’s part of the job responsibility of the head coach. We set a standard here the past 12 years and it’s our responsibility to play to that standard.”

The Packers are venturing near must-win territory if they want to secure their ninth playoff berth in 10 seasons. They face the Vikings in Minnesota next week.

Here’s the latest from the North divisions:

The post-Megatron Lions relied on the Marvin Jones–Golden Tate tandem. For the first time since Calvin Johnson retired, neither will suit up for Detroit. Jones is out for Sunday’s game against the Panthers after missing practice this week, and ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein reports the veteran Lions wideout is seeking a second opinion on his injured right knee. Initial tests revealed no damage to Jones’ ACL or MCL, and Jones was diagnosed with a bone bruise. He’ll miss only his second game as a Lion. T.J. Jones would likely be the starter in Marvin Jones‘ place.
T.J. Lang‘s Lions tenure hasn’t gone as smoothly from a health standpoint. The former Pro Bowl guard landed on IR this week because of a neck injury, but that setback is not believed to be career-threatening, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. Lang also suffered a concussion that forced him to miss time earlier this season. He only played in six games this season after missing three in 2017. Set for his age-32 season next year, Lang — with an $11.1MM cap number — will be a release candidate in the offseason. The Lions could save more than $8MM by releasing the acclaimed blocker. Lang is due a $500K roster bonus on the fourth day of the upcoming league year.
Darius Slay, however, will be back for the Lions after missing Week 10. Bears wideout Allen Robinson gouged the Lions in Slay’s absence, but the All-Pro cornerback was not on the injury report as of Friday and will return Sunday.
While the 2018 Jaguars haven’t been the kind of impediment the 2017 version was, the Steelers will be without a key starter in their attempt to beat a team that went 2-0 against them last season. Stephon Tuitt will miss Sunday’s game with an elbow injury he sustained against the Panthers. Tyson Alualu will start in Tuitt’s place up front, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
Although Robert Griffin III has been mentioned as a possible Ravens starter Sunday, the expectation remains Lamar Jackson will take the reins, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Jackson’s hospital trip Thursday, coupled with Joe Flacco‘s hip injury, left Griffin as the Ravens’ lone practice quarterback that day. But Jackson returned to practice Friday.