Losing Javon Hargrave was certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it’s obvious that the Pittsburgh Steelers were not going to touch a $13 million-per-year contract for a nose tackle in their 3-4 system. Nobody outside of the quarterback position on a multi-year deal is making that kind of money on the team right now.
But Stephon Tuitt is the closest, with the $12 million per year deal that he signed in 2017. And his return is an even more significant development from last season than is the loss of Hargrave. In case you forgot what the Steelers were missing without him for the majority of last season, Pro Football Focus reminded us with a graph yesterday.