All Steelers

Former Steelers Defender Benched Before First Game

The Detroit Lions are moving on from one former Pittsburgh Steelers defender.

Noah Strackbein

In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- Week 1 of the NFL season is set to kick off with the Detroit Lions visiting the Kansas City Chiefs, and for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, they'll see a few familiar faces in the first game. However, one name many expected to see with the starters will now be waiting to take the field. 

After leaving the Steelers in 2022, Isaiah Buggs found his way to the Lions following a short stint with the Las Vegas Raiders. The former Steelers sixth-round pick caught on quickly in Detroit, earning a starting job and recording 46 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, two pass deflections and 10 quarterback hits. 

The Lions decided to re-sign him to a two-year deal in the offseason, expecting him to continue to start in 2023. That expectation remained up until right before Week 1 when head coach Dan Campbell benched Buggs. 

"I’m going to be straightforward with it, because they were straightforward with me with that," Buggs told media. "And as of right now, I will not be playing."

Buggs sent out a cryptic tweet after finding out the news, which many interpreted as his release by the Lions. 

When addressing the situation, he said the tweet came because he was shocked by the news of his benching. 

"You thinking they’re all in with you, and then, ‘Boom.’ With a snap of your finger, it’s like that," Buggs said. "Like I said, I’ve always been a team player, I’ve always been a role player. Whatever they have for me, that’s what I’m going to do."

It's unknown if he'll see the field against the Chiefs in Week 1. As of now, Steelers fans can only expect to see one former Pittsburgher in Cam Sutton. 

Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Steelers Predicted to Win Two Major Awards

Former Steelers LB Arrested in Georgia

Ravens CB Takes Shot at Steelers QB Kenny Pickett

49ers Offense Gets Major Boost Ahead of Steelers Game

Disturbing Allegations Emerge About Antonio Brown

Published
Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

Home/News