Joe Sargent/Getty Images Leonard Fournette of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs the ball for a first down against Arthur Maulet and James Pierre of the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 16, 2022.
On Oct. 30, 2022, cornerback Arthur Maulet played in the 24th game of his Pittsburgh Steelers career. But if it weren’t for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and the organization’s culture, he likely wouldn’t even be playing football this year.
During his appearance on the Oct. 27 edition of The Arthur Moats Experience podcast, Maulet revealed — much to the host’s surprise — that he planned on retiring after the 2021 season.
“A lot of people don’t know, but last year was going to be my last year playing football. But I kind of fell in love with it again and obviously (the Steelers) extended me and I’m taking advantage of every opportunity that I have,” he said.
But prior to joining the Steelers he was disillusioned with the NFL and ready to move on to the next phase of his life.
Arthur Maulet: Mike Tomlin ‘Took Me Under His Wing’
“Honestly, just coming from the Jets — and being a journeyman as well — (I was) busting my butt and not really seeing anything to offer from it…. And I was just a guy like if I’m going to put my all into something and I’m not getting what I want then it’s on to the next thing,” offered the 29-year-old, who entered in the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2017.
“But I signed with the Steelers on a reserve contract last year and Mike T. kind of took me under his wing and (asked) me: ‘What position do you play?’ Because I didn’t have a true position. I played outside corner, I played safety, I never played inside. But he said, ‘Nah, you gonna be a nickel.’ And I fell in love with that position. I learned a lot about it last year, and I’m enjoying it now,” he said, having taken over the position that was manned by Mike Hilton until Hilton left for the Bengals in free agency prior to the 2021 season.
Arthur Maulet on What He Loves About the Steelers
Maulet admits he was nervous when he first arrived in Pittsburgh but says he now appreciates how Mike Tomlin is forthright about everything, recalling the first day of his first training camp and how “Mike T. was putting people up on the big board,” thereby illustrating what not to do.
“That’s one thing I love about the Steelers…. You are going to know why you are playing (or) your are going to know why you’re not playing,” he added, even if that somewhat contradicts recent complaints that that Steelers coaches are failing to hold players accountable. “Like Mike T. says, it’s either JV or Varsity. So I can respect that as a man and as a hard worker. That’s why I love it.”
And that’s why he chose to return to Pittsburgh on a two-year contract that pays him $1.035 million this season and $1.79 million in 2023, according to overthecap.com. This as opposed to chasing “a little bit more money.”
Out of loyalty he says he wanted to return to the “the team that gave me the opportunity to showcase my skills.”
Indeed Maulet is on pace to establish a new career high in defensive snaps this season, having already played 303 snaps (54% of the team’s total). Thus far in 2022 he has been credited with 27 total tackles, including one tackle for loss, one sack, one quarterback hit, one pass defensed and one forced fumble. He went on a locker room rant after last month’s 38-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills — upset after he saw teammates laughing and smiling on the sidelines during the one-sided defeat.