Steelers’ Devin Bush replacement was just released by the Texans

Devin Bush has been downright bad for the Steelers this season, from missed tackles to an overall lack of effort. Could they replace him?

Bush is a former first-round pick out of Michigan, and while he’s shown flashes at times, his inability to bounce back from a serious knee injury has limited his development.

With that in mind, Bush’s ineffectiveness is not entirely his fault. A lack of effort, seen on rather routine plays, is.

Selecting an inside linebacker in the first round is always risky, but the Steelers felt they had to after a career-ending injury to Ryan Shazier, another former first rounder. A decision has to be made on Bush’s fifth-year option this offseason. Will the Steelers bite? Ed Bouchette of The Athletic has already reported they’ve turned it down.

Steelers: Devin Bush replacement in mind?

Rather than go to the NFL Draft well yet again, the Steelers could just sign a potential replacement for Bush, thanks to the lowly Houston Texans.

The Texans released Zach Cunningham on Wednesday, which was a relative surprise.

“We’ve got standards. I didn’t feel like those standards had been met consistently. This is about the team, it’s not about any individuals,” Culley said after releasing Cunningham.

Perhaps there was more going on behind the scenes, but there’s no doubt Cunningham has talent and could be rejuvenated on a winning football team. Houston benched Cunningham for disciplinary reasons last week, despite the fact they just signed him to a four-year extension this offseason. He led the league in tackles last year.

Perhaps a change of scenery could do him some good, and the way things ended in Houston should only bring down his pricetag. Enter the Steelers, who need linebacker help desperately if they hope to make a run at the postseason. The fact Bush is still getting meaningful snaps is terrifying to Steelers faithful, and perhaps even more scary for the team itself.