With Stephon Tuitt being placed on injured reserve to start the season and news coming out that the star defensive tackle underwent a surgical procedure, there have been a lot of questions regarding when the Steelers might expect him back in the lineup.
According to teammate Tyson Alualu, it won't be all that long.
"I see him in there every day working, doing his rehab," Alualu said, gesturing toward the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Wednesday as the team wrapped up practice in preparation for its home opener Sunday against the Raiders. "I know it's going to be soon. I'll know he'll come back ready and ready to do the same thing he was doing last year. I think he'll even do better."
The Steelers have been quiet when it comes to the prognosis on Tuitt. But he didn't practice with the team throughout the offseason and minicamp. Then, right after minicamp ended, his brother, Richard Bartlett III, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in early June.
But Tuitt also was dealing with a knee issue that didn't get better, eventually leading to a surgical procedure to repair some damage, which led to his being placed on injured reserve. How long he might be out has yet to be determined, but NFL rules permit a player to return after three weeks on IR. Tuitt isn't expected to return that quickly, but he's also not expected to be out long-term.
In the meantime, the Steelers will make do without their chess piece next to All-Pro Cam Heyward. Tuitt was one of just three players in the AFC to reach double digits in sacks in 2020 with a career-high 11.
Without him available against the Bills, the team went with a rotation up front. Heyward played 56 snaps, which was two-thirds of the team's defensive snaps. Alualu played 53 snaps (62 percent), while Chris Wormley was at 47 percent, Carlos Davis 20 percent and Isaiah Buggs 9. That was actually a decrease in playing time for Heyward, who played 78 percent of the team's defensive snaps in 2020, but an increase for everyone else.
Alualu and Heyward are both now in their 30s, but he feels they can continue to play at that level until Tuitt returns.
"I feel great. I think my snap count last year was in that range -- 30 to 40 (plays) -- I was at the top (of that). I felt great coming out of that game," Alualu said. "We'll continue to build on it. We'll trust everyone as a unit, as a D-line, knowing that when we need a breather, they'll go in and get the job done."
