Steelers' Mike Tomlin Expresses Excitement Over Rookie CB Darius Rush's Involvement

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had to do some adjusting in their secondary while superstar safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been out with a hamstring injury. These adjustments have allowed some other players to step up and help out. That includes the Steelers' new acquisition, rookie cornerback Darius Rush. Tuesday, Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke about Rush's first real action. 

Rush, who played at the University of South Carolina, was drafted in 2023 in the fifth round by the Indianapolis Colts and waived in August. Then was claimed the next day by the Kansas City Chiefs and signed to their practice squad. Pittsburgh was able to pick Rush up off their practice squad in October. 

Now Rush is finding extended opportunities to play, starting with the Week 9 game against the Tennessee Titans. He was used mostly in dime defense and played about 30 total snaps. During his Week 10 pregame press conference, Tomlin spoke about Rush and the impact he had during that game. Tomlin was asked specifically about the shuffling of the secondary and moving veteran Patrick Peterson to safety and how Rush did stepping in. 

"You know Pat did what he always has done, his movement inside was very similar to his movement inside when Minkah was there. It was really about a guy like D-Rush getting an opportunity and guys like [Damontae] Kazee and Keanu Neal playing every down," said Tomlin.

Rush is joining a Steelers secondary that has been a bit inconsistent all season. The two veteran cornerbacks on the team in Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson have been drawing sharp criticisms and only adding to that inconsistency. Rookie Joey Porter Jr. has been given the opportunity to start more at cornerback and has been a bright spot in the backfield. Tomlin went on to say that he felt that Rush was able to contribute positively to that group.    

"I like the work that those every down guys did and it was really good to get D-Rush in the fold and him to show that he is capable of executing assignments. It would have been nice for him to make that splash play at the end. Appreciative of his readiness and his display of capabilities. Now we get an opportunity to move forward. It's a growth opportunity," added Tomlin.

That's the challenge of dealing with injuries according to Tomlin. On one hand, you deal with the loss of a very capable player, and on the other hand, you have the "opportunities for depth and growth" for those next men up. Tomlin said that life without Fitzpatrick is a challenge, but he is thrilled to see what these guys will do with their expanded opportunities. 

Steelers Secondary Recovering From Some Growing Pains

Rush is long and rangy, just the kind of cornerback the Steelers like. He is 6'2" and just under 200 pounds. During the NFL Combine, he ranked high in athleticism and physicality. While he needs to work on his routes and his ability to stay connected with receivers, he has big, powerful hands that he uses to disrupt catches that get in his vicinity.

The willingness Rush showed to get in there and try to make some big plays is a huge benefit to the Steelers who need hungry players in the secondary. With Peterson looking like a shell of his former Pro Bowl self most of the time and Wallace struggling to consistently have an impact, they have been in trouble. Perhaps the Steelers didn't quite realize how much of a positive impact Cam Sutton had on the backfield. 

Now the Steelers are using Peterson in that way, moving him around the different secondary roles while fitting in rookies like Porter and Rush. These new looks on defense help keep it fresh and are helping to keep the veterans motivated.  

Despite bouncing around the NFL a bit, Rush now seems to have found a home in Pittsburgh, at least for the time being. And it is a home where he shows the initial signs of thriving. While no one could possibly fill Fitzpatrick's cleats, these next men up do need to show that they can hold the fort down while he is out.