:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59638677/usa_today_9813102.0.jpg)
When the new league year started, the Pittsburgh Steelers let Mike Mitchell walk, and it didn’t take the team long to make their decision. To be honest, Mitchell’s inflated salary, combined with his declining play, just didn’t add up.
Mitchell remains unsigned, for now, but took to social media to let fans know why he wasn’t his usual self in 2017.
This from his verified Twitter account:
Couldn’t be the Superman like years prior BC my foot was broke. Never once did I complain or make excuses. Most y’all talkin shit wouldn’t even have gone out there. You’re too soft.
— Mike Mitchell (@iammikemitchell) May 5, 2018
While I have no insider information as to the validity of Mitchell’s health, if this proved anything it was how his time in Pittsburgh was marred by injury.
His first season with the team he had a groin injury, which lasted the entire season before requiring surgery in the offseason, he battled a shoulder injury the following year which also required offseason surgery and hamstring, and now foot, injuries were what did him in throughout the 2017 regular season.
Say what you want about Mitchell, but the man put himself on the field, no matter what. He played through injury, and pain, but at what cost? If his broken foot hindered him as much as he suggests, should he have been playing? Was he hurting the team by being out there, more than helping?
No one outside of the organization truly knows that answer, but one thing is certain — this is just the latest chapter of Mitchell’s hot-and-cold tenure in Pittsburgh. He was never truly embraced by the fan base, and won’t have to worry about them anymore considering he is a free agent looking for employment. In the meantime, the Steelers are moving forward with Morgan Burnett, Sean Davis and a pair of new safeties selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.