Even if there might have been some optimism, the Pittsburgh Steelers were well aware of the possibility during the course of the 2022 NFL Draft that they may not have the services of Stephon Tuitt at their disposal moving forward. Whether or not that weighed on their decision to draft defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal in the third round is neither here nor there, as the end result is the same.
Even with Tuitt’s retirement, there is still no certainty that Leal will dress on Sundays, as the Steelers do have enough depth to swing a defensive line unit for game days without him.