Steelers preparing to adjust with DE Stephon Tuitt injured, out for season

Stephon Tuitt might not want to hear it now, but there is a positive that can come from enduring a season-ending pectoral injury.

All the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman has to do is look a few feet down his row at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex locker room for proof.

In 2016, Cameron Heyward’s sixth NFL season ended after seven games because of a pectoral tear that required surgery. He rebounded the next year to record a career-high 12 sacks and become a first-team All-Pro for the first time.

“You’re not going to the grave with this,” Heyward said Tuesday. “This is something you can come back from and be a better player because of it.”

The irony is bittersweet. Also in his sixth season, albeit in the sixth game, Tuitt suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Los Angeles Chargers that will require surgery and end his season. The Steelers placed the 26-year-old defensive end on the reserve/injured list Tuesday and re-signed former Steelers defensive lineman L.T. Walton to replace Tuitt on the 53-man roster.

Tuitt exited the Steelers’ 24-17 victory against the Chargers after just five defensive snaps. He was tied for second on the team with 3 1/2 sacks, ranked second with seven quarterback hits and tied for the team lead with six tackles for loss.

“I thought Tuitt was having a heck of a year,” Heyward said. “You never want to see a guy go down, but from the offseason until where he got, he made a lot of progression and I’m proud of him. I like to think he was having a Pro-Bowl, All-Pro year. Now, he’s got a setback, but he’s going to bounce back in a big way.”

The recovery process won’t be easy for Tuitt, Heyward reluctantly admitted.

“There will be some things you have to get used to,” Heyward said. “The first week (stinks). You have to sleep sitting straight up. It’s going to be a battle back. It’s not something you come back from in a day. It’s going to take a lot of commitment on his part, which I’m sure he’ll take care of.

“And I’m sure he’ll be better for it.”

The Steelers, though, won’t be — not by losing one of the two bookends of their defensive line. Pro Football Focus, which rates Tuitt as a defensive tackle and not an end, graded him as the NFL’s fourth-best player at his position through six weeks.

“Our front has been one of our best parts of our defense,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “Somebody is going to have to step up. Stephon has been playing real well for us and doing a great job for us. He was a factor that offenses had to deal with. It’s going to be hard to replace that.”

The logical candidate to start is Tyson Alualu, 32, who is in his 10th NFL season and third with the Steelers. A former first-round pick, Alualu served as the top backup on the defensive line in his first two seasons, and he signed a two-year deal in March to continue in that role.

Alualu played 25 snaps against the Chargers after Tuitt exited in the first quarter. He had three tackles and tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that linebacker Devin Bush intercepted. The Steelers took a 14-0 lead after the turnover, getting a touchdown on James Conner’s 12-yard run.

“Talent-wise, luckily we have a guy in the wings waiting,” Heyward said. “Depth is still to be questioned.”

In subpackages, when the Steelers use two down linemen, nose tackle Javon Hargrave can play the other end position with Alualu rotating in as needed. Daniel McCullers, the only other healthy defensive lineman available Sunday night, played 12 snaps and could take on a bigger role in Tuitt’s absence.

Walton spent his first four seasons with the Steelers, but he was not re-signed after becoming a free agent in March. He spent training camp with the Buffalo Bills but was cut Aug. 31.

“You never want to come in under circumstances like that,” Walton said. “Stephon is a great man, a great player. It’s bad timing for him to get hurt, but it feels good to be back and I’ll help out however I can.”

The Steelers drafted defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs with one of their three picks in the sixth-round this year. He made the 53-man roster but has been inactive for all six games.

“It’s all about the next man up,” Buggs said. “I’m excited for it and looking forward to it.”