Ahkello Witherspoon benched in return to Steelers lineup after 4-game absence
PHILADELPHIA — Ahkello Witherspoon was benched Sunday, and he wasn’t going to let a hamstring injury that had sidelined him for more than a month serve as an excuse.
A Pittsburgh Steelers veteran starting cornerback, Witherspoon played in Sunday’s 35-13 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, his first game action since suffering his injury during a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 22.
Witherspoon started and played the entire first half. He was on the field for three long A.J. Brown touchdowns — and James Pierre had taken over at left cornerback in the second half.
“I felt great (physically),” Witherspoon said after the game. “Very excited to play. Healthy, no excuses. I didn’t make the plays I needed to.”
HIM#PITvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/iPzJw3GsnF
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 30, 2022
Coach Mike Tomlin tacitly acknowledged Witherspoon was benched for performance reasons. Though Witherspoon was not explicitly at fault for all three Brown touchdowns — he scored on 39-, 27- and 29-yard plays — he was right on Brown for the second and third such scores.
“There’s no excuses regarding the play that we put out there,” Tomlin said when asked if Witherspoon was pulled from the game because of injury. “Whether it’s one of us as an individual or us as a collective. I wouldn’t put him on the field if he wasn’t ready to go.”
More on the Steelers' loss to the Eagles:
• Hurts puts hurting on Steelers as woes in Philadelphia continue
• Steelers frustrated by inability to contain big plays against Eagles
• Kenny Pickett: Mental mistakes 'need to get addressed' before Steelers return from bye
• From fish market job to NFL game in 48 hours, Nick Sciba makes all kicks as Steelers fill-in
A six-year NFL veteran, Witherspoon is in his second season with the Steelers and the first he entered as a starting outside cornerback after signing a two-year, $8 million contract in March.
Pierre was chosen as Witherspoon’s replacement because No. 3 cornerback Levi Wallace missed the game with a shoulder injury.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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