The Pittsburgh Steelers made a massive change at inside linebacker for Sunday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Instead of seeing Devin Bush or Myles Jack lined up across from Robert Spillane, Mark Robinson was there.
Steelers linebacker, Mark Robinson lines up during warm-ups before the team takes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2022 regular season at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers' Devin Bush Benched
The Steelers' defense has been in a bit of a state of flux this season as they have worked different schemes and tried to deal with injuries and fix weak areas. To that end, Spillane has been playing every snap for the past couple of games instead of Jack, because of his hamstring injury, or Bush, for performance reasons.
This might be the tolling of the bell for Bush. Last night in Baltimore, Bush only played 5 snaps, 10% of the entire defensive plays, while Spillane played 100% and Robinson played 50%.
Bush was drafted in 2019 by the Steelers, 10th overall. He had made a strong showing in college at the University of Michigan. He was praised for his athleticism and work ethic. The Steelers needed a linebacker badly and they traded up to get him. Bush had a solid rookie season and a good start to 2021 and it felt like the organization had taken a worthwhile risk. However, Bush tore his ACL a few games into the season in 2020.
After the injury, he was never quite the same. When he returned last year, fans were frustrated with his performance. He did not look anything like the eager, aggressive rookie we had seen before.
Bush, who is now in his fourth season, has never been able to match that rookie electricity. Earlier this year, the Steelers declined the fifth-year option on him - taking a wait-and-see approach, and now they are likely glad they did.
That leaves Bush with an expiring rookie contract at the end of this season that no one expects the Steelers to renew.
Mark Robinson Fan Club is here. You can sign up by following me for updates 😂
— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) January 2, 2023
Does this Signal a Changing of the Guard?
Steelers fans have been wondering when we would see Robinson have some significant playing time. He came in for a few snaps against the Carolina Panthers, but the 7th-round pick has sparked an interest.
Robinson had seven tackles last night, most assists, but the signs of his disruption were all over the field. He got off to a fast start - with a solo tackle of J.K. Dobbins on a first down after only a three-yard gain. It may not sound like much, but for a rookie and in such a critical game, the impact was tremendous. Robinson showed the kind of toughness you love to see from a Steelers linebacker, he hit with absolute force.
Robinson was not a stand-out college player. He transferred from a small school to Ole Miss in 2020 and had been primarily a running back. At Ole Miss, the coaches transitioned him to defense. The fans felt they saw flashes of brilliance during training camp and preseason. When the defense was struggling, the fans were screaming for the coaches to give the rookie a shot.
OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 13: Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Mark Robinson (35) flexes after making a tackle during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas A&M Aggies on November 13, 2021, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadiumin Oxford, Ms. (Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It feels like a sign of impending doom for Bush that a rookie, who has barely played, stepped in for and did an admirable job. It will be an exciting off-season as the Steelers work through all of their free agents.
What do you think the Steelers will do with Bush? Do you think Robinson should start against the Cleveland Browns for the last game of the season next week? Click to comment below.
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