Kevin Gorman: Steelers' Marcus Gilbert returns, just in time
Marcus Gilbert returns to his role as starting right tackle for the Steelers, perhaps a week too late but maybe just in time.
Gilbert won't be welcomed in the same way Joe Haden will at cornerback, as it's hard to celebrate the return of a player who is back from an NFL banishment.
Gilbert served a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy for performance-enhancing substances.
“It's hard, but you just have to get over it. You can't feel sorry for yourself because there ain't nobody feeling sorry for you,” Gilbert said. “It was something I just had to put behind me. I was hard on myself for the first week, but I know how to deal with adversity. This is part of the game we deal with, no matter if it's injury or suspension.”
Gilbert has dealt with both this season, missing five games with a hamstring injury. That prompted some Steelers fans to connect the dots, rationalizing Gilbert might have taken a banned substance to help speed up his recovery.
Instead, it put him in exile.
“It's hard not to be around the guys, it really is. You don't realize how much you enjoy being with the team until you're not,” Steelers right guard David DeCastro said. “We're happy to have him back. Gil's had a tough year, with the injuries and the suspension.”
That's an understatement, and you have to wonder whether the Steelers want to continue investing in Gilbert, who turns 30 in Feburary. He's in the third year of a five-year, $30 million contract but has missed 12 games the past two seasons.
Gilbert was activated Saturday, prompting the Steelers to cut veteran linebacker James Harrison in order to clear a roster spot.
Surprisingly, Gilbert hasn't received the backlash that Pirates outfielder Starling Marte did when he drew an 80-game MLB suspension for taking a banned steroid.
Perhaps that's because the Steelers had won eight consecutive games, and Gilbert's replacement, Chris Hubbard, played at a high level during his absence.
Gilbert knew the timing was terrible for his punishment, as it included the 27-24 loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 17.
“It was tough, but we would have loved to have a lot of guys out there for that game,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said as Haden, Ryan Shazier and Vance McDonald were out and Antonio Brown was injured in the second quarter. “I thought ‘Hubb' played great. In terms of filling in for somebody, those were big shoes to fill, and I couldn't be more proud of him.”
Gilbert posted a public apology on his Twitter account for “indavertently” taking a banned substance, promising to “come back in great shape” and “ready to play.” He said he didn't appeal the suspension because he didn't want to risk missing any playoff games.
“I put out a statement with my apologies, saying it was ‘inadvertently' taken but nobody bought that story,” Gilbert said. “Nobody's going to listen to you anyway or feel sorry for you. If you have a negative story, they want to make something negative out of it. You smile in the face of it.”
So, Gilbert and his Steelers teammates were smiling this week as he returned in time for the Christmas Day game against the Houston Texans. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley considers Gilbert among the game's best right tackles, and he should help block defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Perhaps a week late, but maybe just in time.
The Steelers (11-3) are tied with the Patriots (11-3) atop the AFC standings and a game ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4), but both teams own head-to-head tiebreakers against the Steelers. So, for the sake of their playoff seeding, the Steelers can't afford another regular-season loss.
Which is why the Steelers welcomed Gilbert's return, even if they teased him while he was gone. It's part of the brotherhood the offensive line talks about.
“You come to work and play for the guys in this locker room,” Gilbert said. “These guys are like brothers to me, and not being around them hurts big-time. To see them go out there and battle without me, it hurts.”
That's why his teammates stayed in touch with Gilbert during his suspension, though it hurt them as much as it did him. They expect him to make a seamless transition to the starting lineup.
“We were joking with him about having fresh legs,” DeCastro said, “but he'll be sore after his first game back, just like us.”
The sad truth is, it will take a lot longer for Gilbert to regain his reputation.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.
