Rookie CB Darius Rush has only been a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers for a little over three weeks. He already has a role within the defense, albeit one that may be contingent on injury. The former Indianapolis Colts fifth-round draft pick made his NFL debut last Thursday for the Steelers in their win over the Tennessee Titans, earning some praise from his defensive coordinator this week.
“I thought Darius has done a good job since he’s been here, and we threw him into a situation where he had to do a lot of things for us, and he did, and we’re just hoping that he continues to grow and get better”, Teryl Austin told reporters on Thursday, via transcript provide by the team’s media department.
Garnering an opportunity due to S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s injury, Rush played 30 snaps for the defense in his debut, much of it late in the game. Most notably, he had a golden opportunity for a game-sealing interception near the very end.
Though he let that pass go through his hands, his ability to put himself in position to make the interception on its own was commendable. He did a good job of reading QB Will Levis and jumping to break on a pass, very nearly playing the hero.
The fact that he didn’t quite finish that one play has in no way diminished the team’s enthusiasm for the rookie’s steady progress since being plucked from the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad on Oct. 18. There was already talk of him potentially playing a week earlier due to injuries at the cornerback position. The fact that the Steelers liked him already in the pre-draft process may play a role in all this.
“I just thought he was a great kid, solid family background, guy who really had to earn his spot”, Austin said of Rush. “When he was available and we had an opportunity to get him, I thought that would be a good opportunity for us to work for him. We had no red flags on him coming out. We liked him coming out. So far it seems to be working for both of us”.
With Fitzpatrick all but assured to miss the Steelers’ next game as well, there’s a good chance Rush will have another opportunity to play on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Playing time may be hard to come by after that, however.
While Rush is playing ahead of James Pierre and logged more snaps than Chandon Sullivan against the Titans, Fitzpatrick’s return to the lineup will re-establish a three-safety rotation. As it stands, both Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal are being forced into full-time starting roles, which limits the Steelers’ ability to use one of them as a roving defender.
They have compensated for that to some degree by continuing to expand CB Patrick Peterson’s package, and he even noted on Thursday that the coaching staff gave him some of Fitzpatrick’s own assignments on key downs, a fact of which he was most proud. But after that first look at Rush, what comes next? The Steelers have been collecting 6-2 cornerbacks, and he’s one more for the shelf. Let’s hope he can stay off the shelf and establish a role on the field.
