Devin

Bush

Bush didn’t offer much in his lone season with the Seahawks, totaling 37 tackles, five TFLs, and no sacks over 13 games. The former first-round pick of the Steelers will now re-join the AFC North as a member of the Browns and will likely see most of his snaps on run defense — as has been the case throughout much of his career. In five seasons, Bush has played on 126 pass rush snaps while playing on more than 1,200 snaps as a run defender.

Bush totaled just 37 tackles and five TFLs last season for the Seahawks and was a healthy scratch in four games. The former No. 10 overall pick joined the Seahawks on a one-year deal last offseason after the Steelers opted not to bring him once his rookie deal expired. Bush hasn’t lived up to his high draft capital through five seasons, and should be viewed as more of a depth signing wherever he lands.

It’s a quiet list for a healthy team that removes most “injured” players from the injury report on Friday.

Bush was not on the injury report this week and is a healthy scratch. Signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, Bush has just three tackles across three games this year.

Bush will miss at least one game with a shoulder injury he picked up in Week 1. The rest of Seattle inactives are S Jamal Adams, OLB Boye Mafe, OL McClendon Curtis, LT Charles Cross, OL Ben Brown, and DT Mike Morris.

Bush spent the last four years as the starting inside linebacker in Pittsburgh. The 2019 first-round pick had 100 tackles as a rookie before tearing his ACL five games into his second season. Bush hasn’t been the same since, losing his starting role at the end of 2022. The Seahawks will give Bush a chance to remain a starter with Cody Barton gone and Jordyn Brooks coming off injury. Bush’s signing doesn’t rule out Seattle bringing back LB Bobby Wagner.

The Steelers declined the fifth-year option on Bush last season after the veteran linebacker appeared to be on a decline after suffering a torn ACL in 2020. A strong 2022 campaign may have resulted in Bush returning to the Steelers, but the team appears fine with letting him walk this offseason. An undersized linebacker, Bush has proven a reliable tackler, but can often disappear on both running and passing downs.

A torn ACL cost Bush all but five games in 2020. Upon returning in 2021, he appeared to have taken a step back, struggling in nearly every phase of the game. He logged four pass defenses and two TFLs while earning a bottom-10 grade at his position by Pro Football Focus. Bush’s only strength was his pass-rush skills which he rarely got to use as an interior linebacker. The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly speculated that the only way he returns to Pittsburgh in 2023 is on a prove-it deal similar to JuJu Smith-Schuster last year.

It’s possible that Bush is able to return for the Steelers’ Week 16 matchup with the Chiefs but the deck is stacked against him. In all likelihood, Robert Spillane will step into a starting role this week. Bush has a forced fumble and two sacks this year.

Pittsburgh will also be without Devin Bush, who made his return from an ACL injury last week against Buffalo. Losing Haden and Bush is a blow to a Steelers defense taking on a Raiders team playing on a short week, traveling across country for an early kickoff. Pittsburgh’s defense remains a top option in fantasy despite the injuries.