PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ahkello Witherspoon spent most of the first half of the 2021 NFL season on the sidelines in sweatpants, while the Pittsburgh Steelers went on without him.
He ended it with his swagger returned and his future suddenly bright.
Not pouting will do that. Also a very direct conversation with coach Mike Tomlin. Witherspoon credits both for the two-year contract he signed earlier this month that will keep the veteran cornerback in Pittsburgh.
“The most important opportunity is the next,” Witherspoon said Monday. “So if you spend your time thinking about or worrying about when that will be, you’re wasting valuable minutes preparing and getting ready for that moment.”
So Witherspoon made it a point not to get discouraged as he struggled to move up the depth chart after taking over from Seattle on the eve of the 2021 regular season. The Steelers loved the size of the Witherspoon at six feet long. He loved the chance to restart his career after spending less than five months with the Seahawks.
Still, Witherspoon didn’t seem to get into the rotation. But instead of fixating on inactivity on game days, he put his head down. It helped that Tomlin provided clarity.
“He was very honest about where we were and what it took to get on the field,” said Witherspoon. “And then it was up to me to take the opportunity.”
One that finally came when Joe Haden fell in November with a foot injury. Witherspoon thrived in step with the number of snaps he saw. He finished with a career-best three interceptions, hitting nine passes and earning the trust of senior defensive assistant — and now defensive coordinator — Teryl Austin in the process.
The Steelers saw enough to make an offer to Witherspoon when he stepped into the Free Agency. A year ago, Witherspoon entered the open market and left San Francisco for Seattle. This time, he decided to stay in a place where he now feels comfortable.
He is also in a slightly different position now than he was nine months ago. With Haden gone, Witherspoon is one of the more experienced players in secondary, along with Cam Sutton and recently signed Levi Wallace.
However, Witherspoon sees Wallace not as a threat to his playing time, but as a teammate.
“It’s about making the team better, pushing myself, pushing him, pushing each other,” said Witherspoon. make the players better and that’s what I’m here for.”
The Pittsburgh defense will likely have a bit of a different vibe this season with Austin taking over from recently retired Keith Butler. Austin has worked closely with secondary for the past three years before moving on to a bigger role. Witherspoon thinks the relationship Austin has built with the defensive backs won’t change much in 2022.
“I know he listens to what we say,” Witherspoon said. “He understands the challenges that come with playing in this league at the back.”
Even when the defense’s biggest immediate challenge is at the front. The Steelers finished last in the NFL against the run last season. Witherspoon believes it’s just as much the secondary’s responsibility as the defense to fix it.
“I think it just trusts your teammate next to you,” he said. “You’re really just going to play football. I think we’ve shown that in certain games, but in some games it falls away. It’s about being consistent and leaning on that approach and remembering what gives us success and replicating this .”
NOTES: The Steelers signed former Eagles outside linebacker Genard Avery to a one-year deal on Monday. Avery, who started 12 games for Philadelphia last season and finished with a career-best 43 tackles, offers depth behind Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt and third-year linebacker Alex Highsmith.
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