(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Steelers kicked off voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, and as expected, the big storyline would be if whether Stephon Tuitt was at the practice. According to reports, Tuitt wasn't, but Cam Heyward told the media that he expects him to be there "sooner or later."
Heyward also told reporters that Tuitt is in Indianapolis, where he lives, but he is confident Tuitt will play for the Steelers this season. He said he knows Tuitt is putting in the work.
Mike Tomlin stressed the fact that it's voluntary OTAs and he's not concerned with Tuitt not being there.
“You’re exactly right, this is voluntary … I focus my energy on those who are here. That’s how I make it a productive day,” Tomlin said.
Tuitt missed the entire 2021 season with a knee injury, but he was also dealing with a personal tragedy, as his brother, Richard Bartlett III, 23, was killed in a hit-and-run car accident in June.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bartlett died after he was struck by a car while trying to secure a mattress and box spring to the top of a vehicle along McGinnis Ferry Road about 9:30 p.m. on June 2. The hit-and-run remains under investigation.