Steelers' Mike Tomlin throws support behind Robert Spillane as Devin Bush's replacement
Mike Tomlin is prepared to go with former undrafted free agent Robert Spillane at inside linebacker for the immediate future as the Pittsburgh Steelers plan to play the rest of the season without starter Devin Bush.
Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference Bush will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ACL. Bush will be placed on injured reserve, essentially ending his season.
Spillane had five tackles, plus another on special teams, after replacing Bush late in the second quarter of the Steelers’ 38-7 victory against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The Steelers (5-0) play the Tennessee Titans (5-0) on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in a matchup of the AFC’s only two unbeaten teams.
“We’ve got a great deal of confidence in Robert, and we’ll largely go with him in the replacement of Devin,” Tomlin said. “Through gameplanning, we will look at options in terms of dividing the labor, but Robert will be the primary man responsible for replacing Devin. We’re excited about watching him play and play to the standard of our expectations.”
Ulysees Gilbert III, who has been inactive for four of the five games, and converted safety Marcus Allen also could see playing time at inside linebacker.
Tomlin, though, didn’t confirm whether Spillane will wear the green dot in his helmet, which goes to the player relaying the defensive signals from the sideline. Spillane wore the green dot after Bush left the game.
“We still have heavy gameplanning to do,” Tomlin said. “We’ll hammer out some of those details, like who is carrying the green dot and the division of labor. I doubt Robert Spillane will be playing all of the defensive snaps. It will probably be a combination of people to replace Devin Bush.
“We are comfortable in the capabilities of all the men, and there will be no excuses for the performance of those who occupy the role.”
Tomlin wasn’t interested in discussing whether the Steelers might seek outside help, either via trade or free-agent signing, to add to their inside linebacker depth.
“I can’t see past lunch, to be honest with you,” he said. “We’re just focused on doing what we need to do to win this game.”
Tomlin said fullback Derek Watt (hamstring) and slot cornerback Mike Hilton (shoulder) are questionable entering the week of practice ahead of the Titans game. Watt aggravated his injury after sitting out Week 5 against Philadelphia. Hilton injured his shoulder against the Browns.
Guard David DeCastro (abdominal strain) and wide receiver Diontae Johnson (back) each are expected to practice Wednesday after missing the Browns game. Guard/center Stefen Wisniewski (pectoral muscle) remains on injured reserve, but he could resume practicing Wednesday. The Steelers have two weeks to decide whether to activate Wisniewski or keep him on injured reserve the rest of the year.
Here is some of what Tomlin had to say:
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.