Mike Tomlin: We Expect Stephon Tuitt to Be Ready to Go
PITTSBURGH -- Lost within the injury updates regarding Ben Roethlisberger's return from surgery on his throwing elbow, is Stephon Tuitt and the torn pectoral that sidelined him for the final 10 games of the season.
Tuitt underwent surgery on his torn pec muscle, before heading to rehab and beginning to prepare for the 2020 season. As teams begin the first phase of their offseason, Tuitt's injury has stayed quiet, even as the team made moves on the defensive line.
The Steelers signed XFL sack-leader Cavon Walker, along with several defensive XFL players, and traded for former Baltimore Raven Chris Wormley.
All the offseason additions may not get the opportunity to fill in for Tuitt as a starter this season, though. In a conference call with fans, head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuitt is recovering well and expects him back for the season.
"Stephon is doing really well," Tomlin said. "Like I mentioned with Ben earlier, his injury occurred at the early portions of the season, and as miserable as it made him and us in 2019, it kind of bodes well in terms of readiness for 2020. So we expect Stephon to be ready to go and we're excited about having he and his talent back."
Tomlin also addressed the defensive line as a whole and what the team's early plans are to fill the defensive tackle position.
"I like the collection of guys that we have, that are capable of fighting for the position," Tomlin said. "Dan McCullers, who was a backup at that position for a number of years. We drafted a young man, Davis, out of Nebraska that has some talent in that area. Tyson Alualu is a veteran guy who's position flexible so he's capable in that area. But that position won't be manned in the ways that Casey Hampton manned it years ago. In fact, probably today's game it doesn't require that you man it in that way."
