Stephon Tuitt was a force to be reckoned with in 2019. Then Week 6 happened.
Five seasons in, Tuitt was having a career year when he tore his pec and was placed on injured reserve.
With a grade of 85, Pro Football Focus ranked the defensive lineman as the fourth-highest pass rusher among interior defenders through Week 6. Before his season-ending injury, he had racked up four sacks, 18 tackles (six for loss) and seven quarterback hits.
Heading into 2020, PFF lists Tuitt as the 11th-best IDL in the league.
Before going down injured last season, Tuitt was on course for a career year to match the rest of that Pittsburgh defensive line. His 89.1 overall PFF grade through six games is the best mark of his career, and he had at least one pressure in every game before going down. Tuitt has shown elite play against the run and the pass but had yet to put them together in the same season. If he can find that key in 2020, he will be one of the best 10 interior defenders and a true impact-return for the Steelers given the departure of Hargrave in free agency.
If he can put together a stellar season versus the pass and the run (which he has yet to do), the Steelers defense could be even better than they were in 2019.
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