The Pittsburgh Steelers made quite the investment in defensive end Stephon Tuitt prior to the 2017 NFL season. Following a couple of modest seasons, he is hoping to provide the team with plenty of bang for their buck moving forward.

Despite all his promise, Tuitt has yet to enjoy a breakout year in Pittsburgh. According to Joe Rutter of TribLIVE, he is hoping to put it all together in the 2019 NFL season:

“It’s finishing, being a better finisher,” Tuitt said when asked which area he needs to improve the most in 2019. “Once I become a better finisher, I’ll be more dominant and make more plays for the team.”

Tuitt received a lucrative payday after signing a five-year, $60 million a couple of offseasons ago. Unfortunately, he still has yet to justify their heavy investment with his solid, yet underwhelming numbers. There is no question that he has played an integral role in the Steelers defense. Regardless, he has still struggled to take that next step after finishing the 2018 campaign with just 45 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 4 passes defended.

While the deal may have made Tuitt the highest-paid defensive player on the team, he has hardly been their most productive. That honor goes instead to defensive end Cam Heyward. Fortunately, it is Heyward's success that spells optimism for Tuitt since it also took the veteran some time to develop into a bonafide Pro Bowler. The Steelers are hoping their patience will pay off once again and they can emerge into one of the most formidable edge rushing duos in the league.