For Devin Bush, the storyline of facing his former team is one playing out a lot more on the outside than in his own mind. As his Seattle Seahawks prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon, Bush’s focus is on getting the win for his team. Not exacting revenge on the team that brought him into the league.
Tucked away toward the end of the Seattle Times Shane Lantz’s article on Bush and this week’s matchup are a couple of quick quotes from him, downplaying his first meeting against his former club. As Seattle sits at 8-7 and on the edge of the NFC playoff race, Bush just wants to help the Seahawks get past another week, referring to Pittsburgh as just “another team that’s in the way.”
Much was made about the team drafting Bush in the first round of the 2020 draft. Pittsburgh moved up 10 spots in the first round to acquire him, at No. 10 overall, marking only the third time under Kevin Colbert the team traded up in the first round. The other two moves were for Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu and Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. Expectations were high. Bush was also viewed as Ryan Shazier’s replacement, the ultra-athletic linebacker who could counter football’s modern passing game.
But he was none of those things. He struggled to stand up against the run, blew out his knee in 2020, and took plenty of heat from the fans, occasionally firing back. A free agent after 2022, his fifth-year option declined and rookie contract expired, he hit free agency and signed a one-year deal with Seattle. A backup for most of the season, Bush is in line to start this weekend following LB Jordyn Brooks’ ankle injury.
While even head coach Pete Carroll said playing against the Steelers would fire Bush up, he’s only going to feel emotional if the outcome doesn’t go Seattle’s way.
“Only if they beat us,” Bush told Lantz when asked if there are hard feelings. “That’s probably the only way I can answer that.”
A win against Seattle will keep Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes alive and could sink the Seahawks’, though the standings and races suggest the Steelers need this win slightly more than the opposition. While Bush is admirably taking a diplomatic path, there’s no doubt getting to send Pittsburgh on a long plane ride home with a loss and essential playoff elimination would feel pretty sweet.
