The Pittsburgh Steelers are traveling to the West Coast to play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. With the status of ILB Jordyn Brooks up in the air due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 16’s game, former Steelers ILB Devin Bush could be in line to start against the team that drafted him, per head coach Pete Carroll via Gregg Bell of The News Tribune on X.
The Steelers traded up to the 10th overall selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft to take Bush. He was thrust into action his rookie season, starting 15 of the 16 games he appeared in and looking like the linebacker of the future for Pittsburgh. He had 109 combined tackles, 72 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and two interceptions as a rookie.
His trajectory looked red hot after his first year, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury early in his second season. He was never quite the same after that with all of his major statistics taking a dive in future seasons. The Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option and Bush signed with Seattle on a one-year contract in free agency. The Steelers reportedly did not extend an offer to him—it was time to move on for both sides.
Bush has appeared in 11 games for the Seahawks this season with two total starts. He has just 13 total tackles, eight solo tackles, and two tackles for loss. He is on pace for his worst statistical season to date, including the year in which he only played five games due to his season-ending ACL injury.
If things continue the way they are with Brooks’ injury, Bush will get the start against his former team and will have a chance to seek revenge. The last couple years of his tenure in Pittsburgh were not kind to him with the media constantly labeling him one of the team’s biggest draft busts in recent memory.
