After a year playing on the West Coast, Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush loves being back near home. Signing a one-year deal with the Browns this offseason, Bush said he loves what the AFC North offers.
“Michigan and Ohio [State], Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I love those rivalries,” Bush said on the Cleveland Browns’ Daily YouTube channel. “I love the AFC North. I love the style of football. So I’m just glad to be back.”
Since beginning his college career at Michigan, Bush has spent most of his time in this region of the country. After becoming an All-American for the Wolverines, the Steelers traded up to make him their first-round pick in 2019. He spent four years with Pittsburgh before signing with Seattle last year. Now, he returns to the area and Cleveland, where his father finished his professional career. Bush thinks the “college feel” Cleveland offers is perfect for him.
“I think I can speak for a lot of football players that come from this college towns and know those atmospheres,” he said. “They prefer it over anything. LA or Miami, there’s so much going on. You win, everybody’s good on Monday. You lose, kinda ruin the week for everybody.”
Devin Bush might love the AFC North, but the interest didn’t feel mutual. In Pittsburgh, Bush was criticized for not being physical or downhill enough, too often going around instead of through blocks. While he was a quality athlete, the combination of poor run defense and underwhelming coverage ability made for a shorter-than-expected Steelers career. He served as a backup in Seattle, starting against his former team in Week 17. But Pittsburgh ran the ball at will, finishing with 202 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Bush was credited with 18 tackles but was along for the ride on several of them.
While Bush has underwhelmed and been an easy target to criticize, there’s still time for him to turn around his career. He’s only 25 and is a decent scheme fit in the Browns’ 4-3 front with a strong defensive line that can keep small linebackers like him free. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has had plenty of success in Cleveland despite coming out of Notre Dame at 221 pounds. If there’s a time for Bush to turn his career around, it’s now. Another lackluster season could make it hard for him to find a home in 2026. Meaning he’ll have to prove the AFC North is his style of football. Or it might be his last season playing in it.
