It appears the Steelers could be getting some much needed assistance to their defensive line room in 2022. Tyson Alualu will return for his 13th season, the defensive tackle announced on his Instagram Tuesday.
“I definitely don’t plan to go out this way, so I’m working harder and smarter for a great comeback to contribute in season 13,” Alualu said.
The Steelers were the worst rushing defense in the NFL in 2021. The loss of Alualu is hard to ignore in the context of that. His presence alone erases lots of flaws that the Steelers carry as a unit. With the emergence of Montravius Adams as well, Alualu and he could combine for one of the better nose tackle rotations in recent memory.
Alualu has one year left on his contract, and realistically could be a cut candidate. However, the Steelers have more obvious candidates in Joe Schobert and Zach Banner. Plus, Alualu’s value to the Steelers far exceeds the cap room they could save, which would be a mere $2.5 million. This news likely means that Alualu should see himself back in a Steelers uniform come Week 1 of 2022.