The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Devin Bush Jr. with the 10th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Steelers were still reeling from losing Ryan Shazier in 2017 and believed that they were just an inside linebacker away from reestablishing themselves as the best defense in the NFL and returning to the top of the AFC. Unfortunately, Bush was not half the player that Shazier was, and no player sums up the recent frustration of Steelers fans like the star-crossed linebacker.
The Steelers did not exercise the fifth-year option on Bush before the 2022 season and put him on notice that he would have to prove he belonged in the black and gold long term. As the season drew to a close, Bush had proven one thing. He didn’t belong in the middle of the Pittsburgh defense and the team has given up on him. At this point, both parties can't wait for him to join another organization.
Oct 13, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush (55) celebrates a first quarter interception with teammates during the first quarter as Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (right, background) reacts at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. During his rookie season in 2019, the Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger early on to a season-ending injury against the Seattle Seahawks. Bush started 15 games for the black and gold and played solid and sometimes spectacular football. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting and was one of the bright spots in a lost campaign. Bush was small for an inside linebacker, but he played fast and did make several splash plays including two interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
On Saturday Bush shot off these two tweets on Twitter. Obviously, Mike Tomlin isn't a former NFL player. Tomlin played receiver at William and Mary but didn't make it into the NFL. At the current moment there at 10 former NFL players that are NFL head coaches. It seems Bush wants to give that a try opposed to Tomlin.
Can’t wait!!
— Devin Bush ll (@_Dbush11) January 15, 2023
Playing for a former NFL player…🤔
— Devin Bush ll (@_Dbush11) January 15, 2023
2020 started where his rookie season left off. The Steelers were undefeated when he tore up his knee and was lost for the season during the Week 6 win against the Cleveland Browns. The injury didn’t immediately cost the Steelers as they marched all the way to 11-0 before stumbling to a 12-4 finish and an embarrassing loss to the very same Browns they had beaten 38-7 with Bush at home.
The Bush injury alone did not cause the 2020 Steelers collapse, it was a cumulative effect of a multitude of issues. Bush returned in 2021, but he was obviously not the same player he was before the injury. He was not only noticeably ginger about testing the surgically repaired knee, but he was also tentative. The Steelers suffered dearly in their run defense slipping to the bottom of the league. Bush seemed to always be out of position.
Devin Bush and Myles Jack - 247 Sports
Before they decided not to give up on Bush altogether and just trade him, the team made some key moves that should have allowed him to shine in 2022. They brought in Brian Flores to coach the linebackers and fans were under the assumption his primary task was to fix the former first-round pick. The team also signed veteran linebacker, Myles Jack to take pressure off of Bush and let him just concentrate on playing fast. Neither move worked in the long run.
Bush was not as bad in 2022 as he was in 2021. That should not be mistaken as a ringing endorsement for how he played linebacker this season. He was still often caught out of position and took bad angles in the run game at the worst times. By the end of the season, he was a complete afterthought. Pittsburgh was content to give Mark Robinson, a rookie seventh-round pick who was just one year removed from converting to linebacker from running back, the opportunity to play inside linebacker for the Steelers.
2023 will offer the former first-round pick a fresh start with another organization. In retrospect, the Steelers could have tried to trade him before the season, but they seem content to wait for the compensatory pick they will get if and when he signs elsewhere. Former first-round picks who flame out for their original teams often get second chances and all it takes is for one team to overcompensate for Bush believing they can fix him for the Steelers to get a valuable mid-round pick.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 10: Devin Bush #55 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Denver Broncos at Heinz Field on October 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Bush could still help the Steelers by doing a great job in free agency this off-season. He could convince a suitor that one of the best teams at talent evaluation in football made a mistake and that it was only the lingering effects of his knee injury and the team giving up on him too soon that caused him to be available. If he pulls it off, it will arguably be his biggest contribution during his brief career. The Pittsburgh Steelers can't wait for that either.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you spell draft bust, B-u-s-h? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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