Steelers Should Consider Bringing Back Former First-Round Pick

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for having staunch defenses and one former player could help them get back to that in 2026.

Former Steelers linebacker Devin Bush is now a free agent, following two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, where he got his career back to where it was.

Bush had a great start with the Steelers, but his latter years saw his production dwindle and his eventual separation from the franchise.

The Steelers could always use depth at the linebacker position and Bush would serve as a decent option for that role.

Why the Steelers Should Bring Devin Bush Back

Bush is coming off of two solid seasons with the Browns under former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, where he showed exactly why the Steelers drafted him in 2019.

He started 10 of the 16 games he played in 2024, making 76 tackles (45 solo), with eight tackles for loss (TFL) and a sack.

This earned Bush a starting role on a strong Cleveland defense in 2025, doing so in all 17 regular season games.

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush (30) reacts after Pittsburgh Steelers miss a field goal in the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Bush led the Browns with a career-high three interceptions and returned two pick-sixes as well, the most for any player in the NFL last season.

He also ranked second on the team with a career-high 125 tackles, (63 solo), seven TFLs, tied a career-high with both two sacks and four quarterback hits, plus posted a career-high of eight passes defended.

Bush also played well against the Steelers in both times he faced his former team, with 10 tackles (seven solo), plus two TFLs in the 23-9 loss at Acrisure Stadium in Week 6 and then nine tackles (five solo), plus one TFL and a forced fumble in the 13-6 win at Huntington Bank Field in Week 17.

The 27-year old made adjustments where he became much better in pass coverage than during his time in Pittsburgh and also thrived in Schwartz's system

Bush has shown an improvement in his career, maybe not as great as the Steelers had in mind when they traded up 10 spots to take him 10th overall, but where he has shown he can excel in the NFL.

New Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham utilizes a 4-3 scheme, like Schwartz does, but also can switch to a 3-4 scheme and use other sub-packages as well for what his team needs.

Graham's use of different schemes allows for confusion from the other offenses, something that Bush should thrive off of, rather than necessarily sticking to a similar formation.

Bush is also better on run defense, which Graham wants more from rather than working in coverage, which is still a weaker part of his game.

If the Steelers can get him on a solid contract, he would join a talented group featuring the likes of Payton Wilson, Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith.

Remembering Devin Bush's Steelers Tenure

Bush impressed at the NFL combine, including going 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash and putting up a vertical jump of 40.5 inches, which put him on the watch of NFL scouts, who likely overlooked his 5-foot-11, 235-pound frame.

He joined the Steelers in 2019, after two All-American seasons at Michigan, and excelled in his rookie campaign.

Bush started 15 games and made 109 tackles (72 solo), career-highs with nine TFLs and four fumble recoveries, plus one forced fumble, a fumble return for a touchdown, two interceptions, four passes defended and one interception.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) fumbles as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush (55) defends in the fourth quarter of an NFL Week 12 game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 16-10, and the Cincinnati Bengals fell to 0-11 on the season. Pittsburgh Steelers At Cincinnati Bengals Nov 24 | Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

His play earned him PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 2019 and finished third in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award voting.

Bush started the first five games of 2020, before tearing his ACL, which ended up hurting the rest of his tenure with the Steelers.

He was a starter for most of the next two seasons, but saw his production decline and eventually lost his starting role towards the end of 2022, when the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, allowing him to become a free agent

Tackles	Season (Games Played)
109	2019 (16)
26	2020 (5)
70	2021 (14)
81	2022 (17)

Bush finished his Steelers tenure with 48 starts in 52 games, 286 tackles (173 solo), 13 TFLs, four sacks, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, two interceptions and 13 passes defended.

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