With a tally standing at four to three, Mike Mitchell has had more surgeries than interceptions since coming to Pittsburgh.
According to the Tribune-Review’s Mark Kaboly, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety recently underwent a surgery on his left hand, spotted around the team facility with a wrap. It seems minor and according to Kaboly’s article, Mitchell appeared confident he would be ready for offseason workouts.
As Mike Tomlin announced as the season ended, Mitchell also went under the knife on his left shoulder, an injury he suffered and gritted through during the last quarter of the season, plus playoffs. Last year, Mitchell had surgeries to fix two torn groins and an injured right finger. His aggressive, hit-you-in-the-mouth nature is appreciated, and he’s lowered his tackling angle to avoid penalties, but his body has felt the affects of such a style.
Mitchell is coming off his best season as a Steeler, granted, there have only been two, in which he picked off 3 passes and forced two fumbles. He was arguably the best player in the team’s secondary or at least, right there with William Gay. While his brash style on the field, openly celebrating and taunting isn’t well received by every fan, that improved play has made it more tolerable.
The Steelers will look to pair a safety with him, be it Robert Golden or someone outside of the organization, assuming Will Allen is not brought back as a starter. Kevin Colbert did mention him as someone the team would consider bringing back, and it’s been difficult to gauge the team’s future plans at the position. But it’s clear strong safety is the uncertain spot in the secondary, and as we’ve previously written about, a position Colbert and company is willing to make heavy investments in.
