Tag Archives: Elandon Roberts

5 Quick Takes on the Steelers Initial 2026 53-Man Roster

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It took 2 trades, cuts of four experienced veterans, 1 surprise injured reserve designation and an unorthodox quarterback decision, but Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy have assembled the Pittsburgh Steelers initial 53 man roster for the 2026 season.

Here are 5 quick takes on their roster decisions which come after a look at the initial roster in its entirety.

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at Steelers OTAs in the spring of 2026

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at Steelers OTAs. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

The Initial Pittsburgh Steelers 53 Man Roster

Quarterbacks (4)

Aaron Rodgers
Mason Rudolph
Will Howard
Drew Allar

Running Backs (4)

Jaylen Warren
Rico Dowdle
Eli Heidenreich, Running Back/Wide Receiver
Riley Nowakowski, Fullback

Offensive Line (9)

Troy Fautanu
Mason McCormick
Zach Frazier
Spencer Anderson
Dylan Cook
Max Iheanachor
Gennings Dunker
Brock Hoffman
Ryan McCollum

Tight Ends (3)

Pat Freiermuth
Darnell Washington
Robert Tonyan

Wide Receivers (6)

D.K. Metcalf
Michael Pittman Jr
Roman Wilson
Germie Bernard
Ben Skowronek
Kaden Wetjen

Defensive Line (7)

Cam Heyward
Keeanu Benton
Derrick Harmon
Yahya Black
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Gabriel Rubio
Kevin Jobity Jr.

Linebackers (8)

T.J. Watt
Alex Highsmith
Patrick Queen
Payton Wilson
Nick Herbig
Jack Sawyer
Carson Bruener
Cole Holcomb

Cornerbacks (5)

Jalen Ramsey
Joey Porter Jr.
Jamel Dean
Asante Samuel Jr.
Brandin Echols
Daylen Everette

Safeties (3)

Jaquan Brisker
Robert Spears-Jennings
Rayshawn Jenkins

Specialists (3)

Chris Boswell, kicker
Cameron Johnston, punter
Christian Kuntz, long snapper

Injured Reserve Designated Return

DeShon Elliott, safety
Jack Driscoll, offensive line

1. Take Mike McCarthy at His Word on 4 Quarterbacks

When Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar were the only 3 quarterbacks during OTA’s Mike McCarthy affirmed that “4 quarterbacks would be awesome.” He meant it. For the third time in 21 years, the Steelers are keeping 4 quarterbacks on their initial roster. In 1995 they did it from a position of strength, in 1999 they did it from a position of weakness.

This time it is somewhere in between, but given the dynamics of the room, McCarthy is making the right move by keeping 4 quarterbacks.

2. There’s No Numbers in Safety

The most concerning personnel move the Steelers made was to put DeShaun Elliott on the injured reserve list. Sebastian Castro got cut while Donte Kent is on the PUP list.

That leaves the Steelers with 3 safeties, one of whom is a 7th round pick and another 9-year veteran on his 6th team.

Mike McCarthy has talked about using Jalen Ramsey as a Charles Woodson like chess-piece. I suspect he’ll start 2026 the way he finished 2025 – working as a strong safety.

Jalen Ramsey and DeShone Elliott at St. Vincents in the summer of 2025.

Jalen Ramsey and DeShone Elliott at St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images, via SI.com.

3. Steelers Lean into the “Fail Fast” Principle

The first major move that Omar Khan and McCarthy made was to deal 2023’s first round pick Broderick Jones off to Dallas, after just 3 seasons with the Steelers. The duo didn’t stop there, shipping off 2025’s 3rd round pick Kaleb Johnson to Green Bay for a 6th round pick.

During the spring McCarthy promised Johnson a clean slate moving in 2026. And he clearly got a long-look early in training camp.

But he fell out of favor with the coaches and will now follow his NFL dream with the Packers. Clearly neither Omar Khan nor Mike McCarthy are allowing sentimentally to cloud their decisions.

Kaleb Johnson heads for the open field in the Steelers August 2026 preseason loss to the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium.

Kaleb Johnson almost breaks won. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

4. Youth Over Experience

The entire Steelers 2026 draft class has made the final roster. Some of these guys could be headed to IR if veterans are re-signed and this may not be a first, but it is a rare occurrence.

  • Much has been made about the age of the Steelers roster.

And while the average age of the Steelers roster is a bit skewed by the presence of Aaron Rodgers and Cam Heyward, Mike McCarthy and his staff clearly opted for youth over experience.

Veterans such as Dean Lowry, Elandon Roberts, Malik Harrison, Travis Homer and Esezi Otomewo all got visits from The Turk.

Some of these players could be back either in the next few days or after the opener, but McCarthy clearly isn’t beholden to something that a player has done for the team or done in the league in the past, but instead is focused on what he believes players can do in the future.

5. The Ball is in Porter’s Court

The Steelers also had to decide to activate Joey Porter Jr. from the PuP list or keep him there for the first 4 games of the season. The Steelers activated him.

  • In doing so, they put the ball in Porter’s court.

The Steelers would like to extend Porter’s contract, and Porter purportedly wants to stay in Pittsburgh. But the two sides can’t agree on a number.

  • Mike McCarthy, unlike Mike Tomlin, doesn’t seem to have much use for “hold ins.”

Word is the Steelers want Porter to participate in practice before engaging in serious contract negotiations. Now that he’s off the PuP list he has to decide whether he’ll do that or not.

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Grounded: Steelers Shut Out by Jets 17-0 in Preseason

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The New York Jets came to Acrisure Stadium and blanked the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning 17-0 in the second preseason game of the 2026 season.

  • My what a difference 8 days can make.

After Pittsburgh pulverized the Packers in preseason last week, the talking heads on social media would have had you believe that Mike McCarthy had already not only cured, but expunged every emblematic Tomlin-era error.

  • Against the Jets, it felt like McCarthy was metastasizing those maladies in real time.

And that’s why it is wise to take both the highs and lows of preseason in stride.

The loss to the Jets was as ugly as the score suggests but, given that it is the second preseason game, there are a few legit negatives and positives we can begin to project forward towards the regular season.

Let’s see what those are.

Chase Wilson with one of several sacks of Drew Allar in the 2026 Steelers Jets preseason win at Acrisure.

Chase Wilson sacks Drew Allar. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

1. Worry on the Offensive Line, Encouragement for the Steelers Defensive Line

The two biggest indicators that Steelers fans needed to look for in preseason were the quality of offensive line play and the strength of the spine of the defense.

Two preseason games have seen the coaches test various offensive line configurations and each combination leaves us something to worry about.

Last season several members of the Steel City Insider message board agreed that Broderick Jones had been improving prior to suffering a neck injury in Chicago. I had the same feeling, and it felt good to get confirmation from a few gents who are far more knowledgeable about X’s and O’s than I.

But we’ve seen Broderick Jones give up sacks playing on the left side last week, and against the Jets he gave up two playing on the right.

  • And it isn’t just a question of Jones.

Preseason is often, (although not always), a good gauge of the play of individual units. And the Steelers pass protection has not been good, no matter who has been out there.

The Steelers have given up 7 sacks and 9 QB hits. And all three Steelers quarterbacks have evaded other would be sacks.

Aaron Rodgers safety, Khalil Mack, Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs Chargers, Steelers vs Chargers SNF,

Khalil Mack sacks Aaron Rodgers for a safety. Photo Credit: IMAGN Images, via Tribune-Review

This is a problem. A big part of the premise behind bringing Aaron Rodgers back was that, behind a more mature offensive line, he could do some damage with an upgraded receiver corps.

  • Nothing we’ve seen means this still can’t happen, but we’ve seen scant evidence that it is.

On the flip side, the spine of the Steelers defense had a strong night.

Both Yahya Black and Gabriel Rubio made stout plays against the run. As did Patrick Queen and rookie Robert Spears-Jennings. Payton Wilson also logged a solid night. A little more on this group later.

2. Anyone Still Want to Run Rudolph Out of Town?

The play of both Will Howard and Drew Allar against the Packers had more than a few in Steelers Nation ready to send Mason Rudolph packing.

  • Such talk was always going to be nonsense regardless of how the quarterbacks performed against the New York.

But the performance of the quarterbacks against the Jets has-re-grounded talk about the young quarterbacks in reality.

To his credit, Will Howard looked poised in the pocket and at the line of scrimmage. He looked comfortable making decisions and threw the ball with confidence – and that includes the two interceptions he threw.

Many agree that his second interception was the fault of the receiver, but regardless, Will Howard looked to be every bit of the 6th round draft pick playing in his second NFL game.

Drew Allar is a little harder to evaluate, because he delivered several passes that were on target that his receivers could have and should have caught.

With that said, the play of both quarterbacks against the Jets sustained the prevailing narrative, that Howard has the intangibles but lacks some of the athletic skill, while Allar has the athletic pedigree but lacks the intangibles.

  • That doesn’t mean either man’s future with the Steelers or in the NFL is doomed.

Mike McCarthy explained that both men left multiple teachable moments on tape. The key is for both to take advantage of the learning opportunities in front of them.

3. Stat Sheet Deceives? A Word About Running Backs and the Running Game

The stat sheet delivered a surprise this morning on the running backs. None of them have averages which raise an eyebrow. Fair enough. Numbers don’t lie, but sometimes they can mislead.

Jaylen Warren logged several authoritative carries.

Watching Dowdle brought back memories of his last performance at Acrisure, where he did enough to help Dallas move the chains.

Kaleb Johnson heads for the open field in the Steelers August 2026 preseason loss to the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium.

Kaleb Johnson almost breaks one. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Kaleb Johnson’s performance was also interesting. He led the team in rushing, and almost broke a long one. But Johnson showed the kind of scrappiness between the tackles that you like to see in a Pittsburgh Steelers running back.

4. Wonder and Worry on Wetjen

OK. Maybe “Wonder” is a bit to strong of a headline here, but hey I need to keep your attention. Seriously. During training camp we heard about Kaden Wetjen’s burning speed and ability to make seamless cuts as a returner.

  • We didn’t see any of that against the Packers, at least as a returner.

But against the Jets we saw some signs of it, and it was encouraging.

Kaden Wetjen fumbles during the Steelers 2026 preseason loss to the Jets at Acrisure.

Kaden Wetjen coughs up that ball. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

What isn’t encouraging was his ball security – he lost a fumble and bobbled another return. And watching him get tackled made me wonder whether someone of his size can withstand the pounding.

5. Of Carson Bruener and Bloodlines

When it came to picking players, Mike Tomlin loved his bloodlines.

The struggles of Terrell Edmunds and Devin Bush Jr. made it easy to wonder whether Tomlin wasn’t letting sentimentality get the better of him. (Funny, neither Cam Heyward or T.J. Watt ever prompted suggestions of sentimentality.)

Bloodlines were a factor in Tomlin’s final draft pick Carson Bruener. Carson Bruener is of course the son of Steelers scout and former tight end Mark Bruener, who made the team last year on special teams.

  • And this preseason he’s showing he belongs on the defense.

On consecutive plays Bruener deflected a pass and then sacked the quarterback. And overall this kid just looks like he belongs every time he sees the field.

6. Two More Who Belong: Skowronek and Roberts

Two more players who are showing that they belong are Ben Skowronek and Elandon Roberts. Skowronek had 3-catches against the Jets, adding to the two he had against the Packers.

Skowronek may never prove he’s the Yancey Thigpen in hiding as this site suggested in the spring of 2025, but he’s a special teams ace and shows that he can catch the ball when it is thrown to him.

The Steelers re-signed the “Tooth Chipper” Elandon Roberts earlier this week and he led the defense with five tackles, renewing the question: Why did Omar Khan and Tomlin let him walk last spring?

No matter. That’s an academic question now. But it certainly is good to welcome Elandon Roberts back as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Steelers Re-Sign Keeanu Benton, Elandon Roberts Returns to Bolster Run Defense

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Omar Khan is breaking out his checkbook again, and this time he’s taking on a bit more risk as the Steelers have re-signed Keeanu Benton to a 4-year 72 million dollar contract.

The contract will pay him an annual average of 18 million, making him the highest paid defensive lineman in Steelers history – in non-adjusted dollars — IF, you judge it as a four-year deal instead considering the 5th year on Benton’s rookie contract.

Keeanu Benton, Steelers vs Buccaneers 2025 preseason

Keeanu Benton blocks a pass. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The Steelers drafted Benton in the 2nd round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and Benton now becomes the third member of this draft class to earn a second contract. Earlier this spring the Steelers worked out extensions with Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington.

At the time of Herbig and Washington’s extension, word was that the Steelers also were targeting Benton for a new deal, but the agreement did not materialize until now.

Benton has started 40 of his 51 career games and logged seven and a half sacks—for comparison’s sake, Casey Hampton had 9 in his entire career. So Benton has shown he can rush the passer as a nose tackle.

  • If that’s the case, then where’s the risk you ask?

If Benton’s pass rushing prowess is well-documented, his ability to act as a run stuffer—the traditional role of the nose tackle in the Steelers defense—remains a question mark at best.

There were times during the 2025 season when Benton failed the eye test miserably, when opposing offensive lineman tossed him aide like a rag doll. The losses to the Bengals and Bills offer poignant examples. In other games, such as the win over the Colts, he held up better, but consistency continues to elude him.

Look back to the last three playoff losses the Steelers have suffered, and there’s one constant, a sieve-like run defense:

Now, can we hang all of that on Keeanu Benton? Absolutely not. The front office and coaching staff clearly doesn’t. But there’s no way the Steelers can break their playoff losing streak and continue to give up that kind of yardage on the ground. And quality nose tackle play is a must if the cycle is to be broken.

  • And in that light, giving Benton such an aggressive extension does carry some risk.

However, with a new coaching staff, perhaps Benton can learn to defend the run more consistently. And beyond that, signs indicate that his role on the Steelers defensive line could is changing.

Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon during the Steelers 2025 win over the Patriots.

Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

When the Steelers drafted Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black during the 2025 NFL Draft, Mike Tomlin’s defensive staff insisted that they saw Benton as a nose tackle.

  • True to their word, Benton remained at nose tackle throughout the season.

And while Benton started at nose tackle against the Packers and has worked there during the summer at St. Vincents, the official depth chart lists him as a defensive tackle, and both Black and rookie Gabriel Rubio have gotten time at nose.

On the Steel City Insider podcast, veteran journalist Jim Wexell confirmed that the Steelers long-term plans are to move Benton to defensive end when Cam Heyward begins his “Life’s Work.”

Speaking of Run Defense – Elandon Roberts, The Tooth Chipper Returns

Regardless of whether Benton can find a way to better clog the middle of the field, the Steelers gave their run defense a shot in the arm when they re-signed Elandon Roberts.

Elandon Roberts, Terry McBride, Steelers vs Cardinals

No helmet, no problem, as Elandon Roberts tackles Terry McBride. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, AP via Newsday

Roberts, who had played for the Steelers in 2023 and 2024 and earned himself the moniker of “the tooth chipper,” for his hard hitting play against the run. Surprisingly, Roberts left as a free agent signing with the Oaka… er um, Los Ang… Las Vegas Raiders where he played with current Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson appear to be set as starters at inside linebacker, but with Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison and Carson Bruener the Steelers have a glut at the position.

Harrison would appear to be the odd man out, as Bruener has been a special teams standout and retains plenty of the proverbial “Upside.”

 

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Smart Move: Steelers Extend DeShon Elliott for 2 More Years

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When it came time to issue the final Steeler Report Card for the 2024 season awarding Unsung Hero honors came down to two players: Elandon Roberts and Deshon Elliott.

  • After a bit of back-and-forth, the honors went to Deshon Elliott.

I’m supremely confident that neither Omar Khan nor Mike Tomlin’s eyes have touched this blog, but when it comes to DeShon Elliott it appears that we think alike, as the Steelers made their first contract extension of the summer, when they resigned DeShon Elliot to a two year extension valued at 15.5 million with 9 million guaranteed.

DeShone Elliott, David Njoku, Steelers vs Browns

DeShone Elliot defends David Njoku. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

DeShon Elliott joined the Steelers last spring after 3 years with Baltimore, one with Detroit, another in Miami.

The question on Steelers fans minds as they watched him during the 2024 season was, “What was it that the Ravens, Lions and Dolphins didn’t see in him?”

DeShon Elliott appeared in 15 games for the Steelers last season and started 14 of those. He logged one interception, deflected 6 passes, forced 2 fumbles, recovered 3 fumbles and logged 108 tackles.

  • Now, as any serious fan understands, tackle totals can be misleading.

And Elliott’s tackle total certainly misleads – because 108 tackles doesn’t do justice to how well he played. Per Pro Football Reference, DeShon Elliott only missed 3 tackles all season. Elliott may not have been a superstar on the Steelers defense, but he was the kind of player who had a knack for finding and stopping the ball carrier.

While doing that, Elliott grew into a leadership role, commenting on the communication problems that plagued the Steelers in Christmas debacle against the Chiefs, “We shouldn’t be having these problems in Week 18. That’s a Week 1 or Week 2 problem.”

The Steelers are wise to ink him to a new deal that will keep in in Pittsburgh, and they’ve done it at a very team-friendly price. Even though Elliott’s extension will give him a significant raise from his previous contract, according to Alan Saunders of Steelers Now he’ll only be the NFL’s 30th highest paid safety.

With Elliott Inked Whose Next?

In his second off season as Steelers General Manager, Omar Khan reverted to form he exhibited during his first off season, when he got deals for Minkah Fitzpatrick and Chris Boswell done early in the summer, as opposed to waiting until shortly before the regular season began, as had been custom of Kevin Colbert.

Last summer, however, extensions for Pat Freiermuth and Cam Heyward came at the end of the summer.

  • With the ink drying on Elliott’s deal, the question is who is next?

Jaylen Warren is playing on a restricted free agent deal and both he, and the Steelers face a choice. The Steelers can lock him for less money now, or risk seeing him cash in on the open market if he has a big year.

Given that the Steelers took Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the smart money says they won’t offer Warren an extension.

  • Calvin Austin is also entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Austin’s overall numbers from 2024 might not impress many Fantasy Football owners, but he showed the ability to step up and make significant plays, and Steelers coaches affirm their belief that Austin can function as a true number 2 alongside D.K. Metcalf.

Calvin Austin, Greg Newsome, Pittsburgh Steelers

Calvin Austin hauls in a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Signing Austin now could be a win, win for the Steelers, although the franchise seldom gives second contracts to wide receivers not named Hines Ward or Antonio Brown.

  • And of course, there’s T.J. Watt, who missed OTAs and “mandatory” minicamp.

Everyone expects the Steelers and Watt to reach an agreement, but it still must come to pass.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Inside Linebacker – Low

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For seven long years, questions at inside linebacker have been a staple of Pittsburgh Steelers off seasons. The team has tried promoting in house, it has tried signing low level free agents, it has tried trades, it has tried big-ticket free agents, it has tried draft picks, and its tried trading up to draft players.

Yet, almost every spring, they’ve found themselves back at the drawing board.

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, it is fair to ask whether this time things are different.

Patrick Queen, Steelers vs Ravens, Isaiah Likely

Patrick Queen forces a fumble. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Cart at: The Starters

At inside linebacker the Steelers are led by veteran Patrick Queen and “rising sophomore” Payton Wilson. The Steelers invested a lot of salary cap space to bring Queen to Pittsburgh, and while it took time for him to find his footing in the Steelers defense, he was clearly a defensive leader by season’s end.

As a rookie, Payton Wilson made his presence known when he picked off Lamar Jackon’s pass right before the half in the Steelers upset of the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. Two weeks later at Paycor Stadium against the Bengals he recovered a fumble that Nick Herbig forced taking to the house.

  • Both were game-changing plays.

Wilson still must build on and improve on that rookie performance, but the early returns are promising.

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart: The Backups

When free agency started, the Steelers were expected to resign Elandon Roberts. Instead, they signed Malik Harrison away from the Baltimore Ravens. Harrison is a special teams ace, who like Roberts is known for being stout against the run – although his missed tackle percentage did jump in 2024.

After spending a year on injured reserve, Cole Holcomb has been cleared to return. In eight starts for the Steelers in 2023, Holocomb was well on the way to proving himself as an impact player, having forced 2 fumbles, batting away two passes and making 4 tackles for losses.

Finally, the Steelers will bring back Mark Robinson. Robinson was their 7th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. While Robinson’s role in the defense has declined, as his snap count has dropped from 19% to 13% to a mere 1%, that dip is as much about the other players as it is Robinson.

Still, Robinson is a core special teamer, and certainly someone you want to bring to camp to compete for a roster spot.

The Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Inside Linebacker

The turmoil at inside linebacker described in the intro can of course be tied directly to the tragic loss of Ryan Shazier. The Steelers haven’t had anyone on the roster since then who can fill his shoes and probably do not have that player under contract now.Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Needs Scale

That’s not a knock on the current inside linebacker depth chart.

Before his injury, Shazier was trending towards performing the same level of franchise Hall of Fame legends such as Rod Woodson or Troy Polamalu (can you just imagine Shazier and T.J. Watt playing together in their primes?) Players like that do not grow on trees.

But the Steelers do have their deepest inside linebacking corps since they boasted Shaizer, Sean Spence and Vince Williams.

Sure, if another Shazier-like player falls in their laps, the Steelers should take him, but otherwise their draft needs at inside linebacker going into the 2025 NFL Draft must be considered Low.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 Free Agent Tracker

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Free Agency started on Monday March 10th at noon.

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered free agency with as much as much to lose as they do have to gain.

The Steelers have 17 players set to become free agents. Omar Khan has over 60 million dollars in salary cap money to spend, with the ability to increase that quickly and easily with restructures and extensions. Yet, the team has been cautious.

  • If anyone is panicking over the Steelers lack of a quarterback, they’re not on the South Side.

Beyond that, the Steelers have seen far more free agents depart for greener patures than they have extended the welcome mat to.

steelers press conference,

Is Omar Khan stockpiling compensatory picks? That may not be his intent, but thus far that’s the end-product of his approach to free agency as the legal tampering period comes to an end.

Steelers 2024 Pickups During Free Agency

Jaylen Warren, Running Back
Extended 2nd round Restricted Free Agent Tender
Ryan McCollum, Center
Extended an Exclusive Rights Free Agent tender
D.K. Metcalf
Traded their 2nd round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft for D.K. Metcalf who signed a 4 year extension
Kenneth Gainwell, running back
Signed the former Philadelphia Eagles running back to a 1 year deal.
Malik Harrison, Inside Linebacker
Signs a 2-year, 10 million dollar contract to leave the Baltimore Ravens.
Brandin Echols, Cornerback
Signs with Steelers from the New York Jets, terms undisclosed.
Darius Slay, Cornerback
Signs 1-year, 10 million dollar contract after getting cut from Philadelphia Eagles.
Mason Rudolph, Quarterback
Signs 2-year, 8 million dollar contract.
Scotty Miller, Wide Receiver
Signs 1-year deal, presumptively at the veteran minimum.
Ben Skowronek, Wide Receiver
Signs 2-year deal, 4.5 million dollar contract.
Daniel Ekuale, Defensive End
Signs with Steelers from the New England Patriots
Juan Thornhill, Safety
Signs 1-year deal from the Cleveland Browns
Isaiahh Loudermilk, Defensive line
Signs 1-year deal, presumptively at the veteran minimum.
Esezi Otomewo, defensive lineman
Signs 1-year contract, presumptively at the veteran minimum, from the Jacksonville Jaguars

Steelers 2024 Free Agent Losses


Justin Fields, Quarterback
Signed 2 year, 40 million dollar deal with the New York Jets
Donte Jackson, Cornerback
Signed 2 year, 13 million dollar contract with San Die er um Los Angeles Chargers
Dan Moore, Offensive Tackle
Signed 4 year, 82 million dollar contract with Tennessee Titans
Najee Harris, Running Back
Signs 1 year, 9.25 million dollar contract with Los Angeles Chargers
Elandon Roberts, Inside Linebacker
Signs 1 year, 3 million dollar contract with Las Vegas Raiders
James Daniels, Guard
Signs 3 year 24 million dollar contract with Miami Dolphins
Van Jefferson, Wide Receiver
Signs 1 year, 2.5 million dollar contract with Tennessee Titans
Mike Williams, Wide Receiver
Signs 1 year, 7 million dollar contract to return to the Los Angeles Chargers
Nate Herbig, Guard/Center
Signs 1 year deal with Washington Commanders

Steelers 2024 Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents

Russell Wilson, Quarterback
Cam Sutton, Cornerback
MyCole Pruitt, Tight End
Kyle Allen, Quarterback
Tyler Matakevich, Inside Linebacker/Special Teams
Damontae Kazee, Safety

Exclusive Rights Free Agents

Jeremiah Moon, Outside Linebacker

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Steelers Must Keep Elandon Roberts, “Tooth Chipper,” in Pittsburgh

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Finding stability and inside linebacker has been something that’s eluded the Pittsburgh Steelers since they lost Ryan Shazier on December 4th 2017 on that fateful night in Cincinnati.

  • Although that was eons ago in NFL time, its ripple effects echo to this day.

One of the better moves the Steelers have made in the process has been to bring Elandon Roberts to Pittsburgh. But even if that’s true, has he done enough to remain part of the Steelers plans for 2025 and beyond? Let’s take a look.

Elandon Roberts, Terry McBride, Steelers vs Cardinals

No helmet, no problem, as Elandon Roberts tackles Terry McBride. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, AP via Newsday

Capsule Profile of Elandon Roberts’ Career with the Steelers

Elandon Roberts was one of two key free agency signings the team made in the spring of 2023 to bolster their inside linebacking corps, the other being Cole Holcomb. But Omar Khan hedged his bets by signing Kwon Alexander at the close of July.

  • The plan was to platoon the trio based on game situation.

The plan was working well, until Cole Holcomb suffered a season-ending injury against the Titans. Injuries felled Alexander a week later against Green Bay. That left Elandon Roberts to shoulder the load alongside a hodge podge of Mykal Walker, Mark Robinson and, at the end of the year, Myles Jack.

Roberts excelled making 101 tackles, two and a half sacks and bringing down 10 ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage.

Nonetheless, during the 2024 season the Steelers went all in on beefing up the middle of their defense, signing Patrick Queen to a record contract and drafting Payton Wilson in the third round. Roberts nonetheless started 15 games, although his snap count dropped from 54% in 2023 to 44% in 2024.

His production, however, dropped more, as he registered 46 tackles and only 5 tackles for losses with one sack. For what it is worth, Elandon Roberts led the Steelers in tackles in the playoff ridiculing inflicted by the Ravens.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Elandon Roberts

Elandon Roberts offers Exhibit A supporting the reality that statistics too often fail to capture a player’s value. As Mike Tomlin says, Roberts is a “Tooth Chipper.”

Elandon Roberts doesn’t just run to the ball – he craves contact with the ball carrier. There’s a reason why missed only 10 tackles in almost 1000 snaps with the Steelers. He’s got a knack for laying on the wood just when the game situation demands it. His forced fumble at the goal line against Dallas provides a perfect example.

Elandon Roberts, Jerome Ford, Steelers vs Browns

Elandon Roberts stops Jerome Ford on 4th and 1. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

As the Baltimore Ravens so brutally demonstrated in the playoffs, the Steelers need guys who can and will step up to stop the run. Elandon Roberts is one of those players and he belongs in Pittsburgh.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Elandon Roberts

Roberts was a clear asset for the Steelers in 2023, but the numbers don’t lie. His snap count dipped by 10%, yet his tackles and his tackles for losses dropped by close to half. There could be many reasons for this, but the Steelers ignore these numbers at their peril.

And if Elandon Roberts is such a stud against the run, then why, after getting 63% of the defensive snaps in the playoffs against the Ravens, did Derrick Henry run wild?

Moreover, he’ll be 31 next year. The Steelers defense is old enough. Time to fill his roster spot with new blood.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Elandon Roberts

There are only starting two inside linebacker slots in the Steelers defense, but they unit has shined when they’ve had a troika of starter-capable players.

They won a Super Bowl with James Farrior, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons. They went to another with Farrior, Timmons and Foote. Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams and Sean Spence gave them championship-caliber play.

The Steelers appear to have found a good player in Payton Wilson and they’ve invested heavily in Patrick Queen.

  • Elandon Roberts fills out that troika nicely.

And while the Steelers will certainly need to pay Elandon Roberts more than the veteran minimum, it won’t break the bank to keep him in Pittsburgh. He’s one free agent Steelers can, should and likely will keep in in Pittsburgh for the next couple of three seasons.

 

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to Ravens: NO More Health Room Passes Edition

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Taken from the desk of a teacher who is tired of writing passes to the health room, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2024 loss to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Derrick Henry, Steelers vs Ravens

Minkah Fitzpatrick slows down Derrick Henry. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterback
Russell Wilson went 22 of 33 for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. In many ways, he is the reason the Steelers were in this game for 3 quarters. But his fumble took at least 3 points off of the board. And his pick-six effectively ended the game. Grade: DSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Collectively the Steelers running backs only totaled 90 yards rushing, which on the surface appears anemic. However, Najee Harris had his best night in several weeks. He hit holes with authority and made piles fall forward. Cordarrelle Patterson caught his only pass – after bobbling it. Connor Heyward worked effectively as a blocker and caught one pass. The Steelers lost to the Ravens for many reasons. The running backs weren’t one of them. Grade: C+

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth caught 3 passes for 16 yards. MyCole Pruitt caught 1 pass for one yard and a touchdown, although he was the target on the pick six. Grade: C

Wide Receivers
With each passing game, Calvin Austin seems to do a little more to step up. On his sideline catch he showed incredible concentration and ball skills to bring in a very low percentage pass. Still, there was a breakdown on the 4th down conversion attempt and that could have been a game-changer. Van Jefferson caught 2 passes for 27 yards and Mike Williams caught 3 for 24. Both men look like they could be effective number 3 or 4 wide outs — this team needs a number 1. Flying under the radar is Ben Skowronek who had 2 catches for 25. Grade: D+

Offensive Line
Russell Wilson was sacked 3 times, hit a total of 6 times and had to take off and run 3 more times. Run blocking was a little better, but overall the Steelers needed the line to dominate up front. It did not. Grade: D

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward led the unit in tackles and had one for a loss. But it was a bad night for the defensive line as it neither mounted pass pressure nor stopped the run. Grade: F

Linebackers
Alex Highsmith had a strip sack and Elandon Roberts had a nice tackle behind the line of scrimmage. And Patrick Queen was the team’s leading tackler. But Derrick Henry ran where he wanted, when he wanted, and Lamar Jackson litterally was untouched beyond the sack (per ESPN’s stats.) Grade: F

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Ravens, Minka Fitzpatrick interception Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts Lamar Jackson. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Secondary
Minkah Fitzpatrick had what should have been a game-changing interception and he was also stoudt against the run. Damontae Kazee led the team in tackles, but along with James Pierre and Cory Trice, this look like a secondary missing 3 out of 4 starters. Grade: D

Special Teams
James Pierre forced a fumble but the Steelers were unable to recover. Chris Boswell made all of his kicks, but he shanked a kickoff which gave Baltimore 10 more yards on a drive a touchdown drive. In a game like this, the last thing you can do is give Baltimore extra yards. Grade: D

Coaching
Arthur Smith does not have a lot to work with at this point. He’s got a young line with 2 rookies. He’s missing he’s got an offense that’s missing its WR number 1 and really doesn’t have a WR number 2. Yet he found ways to use players at the bottom of his depth chat and make just enough plays that, had it not been for two turnovers, would have been competitive.

  • Teryl Austin had a bad night.

Derrick Henry dominated at a level that the Steelers strived, but failed to attain during Jerome Bettis‘ tenure. Lamar Jackson likewise had a very good night, picking apart the Steelers pass coverage with relative ease.

The Steelers entered this game with fire and fight after a tough loss to the Eagles, and that’s to Mike Tomlin’s credit. Further to Tomlin’s credit, he refused to use the fact that his defense is missing 4 starters as an excuse.

Jaylen Warren, Marion Humphrey, Steelers vs Ravens

Jaylen Warren drags Marion Humphrey. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

If the Steelers are to have any chance against Kansas City, Tomlin must either find a heal his players Mr. Miyagi style or mind-meld Mr. Spock style with his backup secondary get them to fully but into the “Standard is the Standard.” Grade: C

Unsung Hero Award
Nights like this require players to dig deep. They must bring a little something extra to the field. One player who ran decisively, fought for every extra yard and even made a minor splash as a kick returner was Jaylen Warren, who wins the Unsung Hero Award for the 2024 loss to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

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Ravens Route Steelers 32-17, Tie for AFC North Lead

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The Steelers traveled to Baltimore. This time when “Mr. Jackson” and “Mr. Henry” spoke, all of Pittsburgh listened, as the Steelers suffered a 34-17 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.

The loss drops the Steelers record to 10-5 while improving the Ravens to 10-5, leaving the teams tied in the AFC North crown. It is also the second straight week the Steelers have gone into “Alpha Male” matchups and come out with their lips busted and their nose bloodied.

  • Clearly, this not the type of performance you want to see from the Steelers in “December football.”

But does that mean the Steelers are doomed to another December derrota? The answer is no, it doesn’t. But that “No” comes with a rather large caveat.

Ar'Darius Washington, Russell Wilson, Russell Wilson fumble Ravens, Steelers vs Ravens

Russell Wilson fumbles at the 4 yard line. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh, Meet “Mr. Jackson” and “Mr. Henry”

Several trends favored the Steelers going into the game.

  • The Steelers had won 8 out of 9 against the Ravens
  • Mike Tomlin had found a way to mortalize Lamar Jackson
  • Although it didn’t get much ink, Pittsburgh had enjoyed similar success vs Derrick Henry

But anyone who thought that the Steelers “had Jackson’s number” was fooling themselves. Lamar Jackson has won multiple league MVP awards in the past and will almost certainly earn the honor multiple times in the future.

As for Derrick Henry, he quite simply runs like the kind of running back that the Steelers offense wishes it had. True, the Steelers have had success in stopping elite running backs this season. One of the few highlights of the flame out in Philly was that the Steelers kept Saquon Barkley down to earth.

  • Both “Mr. Jackson” and “Mr. Henry” took off against the Steelers.

Sure, the Steelers limited Jackson on the ground. But he tossed 3 touchdown passes and, frankly, each one looked  easier. Jackson might have “only” thrown for 209 yards. He didn’t need to throw for more. Henry rushed for 162 on the ground.

Cam Heyward, Elandon Roberts and Minkah Fitzpatrick all logged a few nice stops of Henry behind or near the line of scrimmage. But those were few and far between. The story of the night was the Ravens ripping gaping holes in the Steelers front seven, Henry hitting them to gouge the defense, while members of the secondary barely stopped him from scoring.

  • The Baltimore Ravens were the better team than the Pittsburgh Steelers in all three phases.

John Harbaugh could given out multiple game-balls following this win. But no two players exemplified the Ravens dominance like Jackson and Henry.

ICYMI: The Steelers Were Actually In This Game

The Steelers went into this game down three starters on defense, lost a fourth during the game, and of course George Pickens their most dynamic talent on offense.

  • To score an upset, several players would have to step up.
  • Beyond individual efforts, Arthur Smith would have to coax something extra out of his collective unit

And in a lot of ways that happened. Although you wouldn’t know if you only looked at their rushing totals, Smith platooned Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren more effectively than he has all season.

Calvin Austin, Steelers vs Ravens

Calvin Austin hauls in a sideline pass. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Warren averaged 4 yards a carry and Harris managed 4.7. Neither man had a run longer than 11 yards. That shows just how scrappy both men were in fighting for extra yards and forcing piles to fall forward. Warren also had several catches.

The offense still clearly misses George Pickens, but Smith found ways to get contributions form others:

No, no one will ever confuse this effort for the Greatest Show on Turf. Nor will they mistake the rushing attack for a dominant ground game. But it does so that, had the game dynamics been different, Arthur Smith’s offense may have risen to the occasion.

The defense was more problematic, but they still found ways to make splash plays when it counted.

After the Steelers offense turned over on downs and then gave up a 44-yard run to Henry, Minkah Fitzpatrick struck back with an interception. It was a play that, had the “game dynamics” been different, could have shifted moment in Pittsburgh’s direction.

Pittsburgh Bounces the Ball Baltimore’s Way. Literally

Against the Eagles, the Steelers lost in large part because the defense and special teams created two turnovers that the offense failed to capitalize. On the 7th play of the game against the Ravens, Alex Highsmith strip sacked Lamar Jackson.

  • But the ball bounced to Ronnie Stanley who recovered for the Ravens.
Alex Highsmith, Lamar Jackson, Steelers vs Ravens

Alex Highsmith strip sacks Lamar Jackson. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Baltimore forced a punt on the very next series. James Pierre forced Desmond King to fumble. But it rolled in Chris Board’s direction and the Ravens recovered, and then Ravens scored a touchdown.

The Steelers answered with a touchdown of their own. The Steelers forced a punt. On the next drive they were moving steadily down the field when Russell Wilson took off. He ran for 19 yards and reached the Baltimore four.

There he fumbled. He tried to get it back but the ball Kyle Van Noy who recovered for the Ravens.

  • The ball literally wasn’t bouncing Pittsburgh’s way.

And when it wasn’t, the Steelers helped roll it to the Ravens. Two plays after Minkah Fitzpatrick’s interception figured to get the Steelers right back into the game, Russell Wilson fired off a pass towards Puritt that left his hand a second too soon.

Marion Humphrey caught it and took it to the house, bringing the score to 31-17 and effectively icing the game for Baltimore.

Health Critical for the Steelers

Despite losing badly to the Eagles, the Steelers came into the game against the Ravens with fire and fight. For a second straight week, the Steelers learned that fire and fight alone don’t win games. Playmaking does.

  • Avoid a few errors, and the Steelers contest both of those games
  • Make a few plays, and maybe they could have even won

But to make plays, your best players have to be on the field. The Steelers are missing their best offensive playmaker and 3/4ths of their secondary.

Patrick Mahomes is spending Christmas in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers had better find a way to get healthy. Fast.

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Steelers Report Card for Win over Browns: Get Right, Don’t Get Back Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher glad his students focused on getting right instead of getting back here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2024 win over the Browns at Acrisure.

Elandon Roberts, Jerome Ford, Steelers vs Browns

Elandon Roberts stops Jerome Ford on 4th and 1. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson looked lost early on without George Pickens. However, he managed to find his footing, finishing 15 of 26 for 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions while hitting 9 different receivers. He also scrambled effectively several times. Grade: B+Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Najee Harris started off running strong, and finished with a few strong runs on the final series. In between, he was inconsistent as a rusher, finishing with 53 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Jaylen Warren got 47 yards on 9 carries. Warren also caught 2 balls for 25 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson had 3 yards on 4 carries and one catch for negative 2 yards. Grade: B-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had 3 catches for 48 yards, but the first set up a score, the second converted a critical third down that set up another score, and the third was a touchdown. Connor Heyward had a key block on the rushing touchdown. Darnell Washington had zero catches on one target but blocked effectively, while MyCole Pruitt had one catch for negative one yards. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
For the first time all season the Steelers were without George Pickens and they felt his absence, particularly early on. Yet, Scotty Miller and Mike Williams stepped up to make 3 small, but critical catches. Van Jefferson had one catch, but it was for a touchdown. Calvin Austin, undoubtedly blanketed by the Browns top corner, had one catch for 4 yards. If the Steelers go without Pickens for longer, they’re going to need more from their wide outs. But yesterday it was enough. Grade: B-

Offensive Line
In the first game against the Browns, the offensive line was an outright liability. The Browns sacked Russell Wilson 4 times and recorded double-digit tackles for losses. This time around the Browns only sacked Wilson once and recorded 6 yards for losses. To be sure, there were times when the Steelers needed to control the line of scrimmage better, but this group put together and above the line performance. Grade: B-

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward led the unit with 5 tackles, playing a critical role in stuffing the run. He also sacked Jameis Winston twice – both drives ended with zero points for the Browns – that’s not a coincidence. Keeanu Benton stat sheet is pretty spare, but his interception provided critical moments for the Steelers. Larry Ogunjobi left the game early and frankly, it was hard to notice. Which shows that Isaiahh Loudermilk was doing a good job. Grade: A-

Linebackers
T.J. Watt opened the action with a tackle for a loss on the game’s first play. Two snaps later, Alex Highsmith was sacking Jameis Winston. Patrick Queen led the team linebackers in tackles. Payton Wilson didn’t make any “splash plays” but he has a nose for the ball. Elandon Roberts authored the linebacker’s biggest play with he stoned Jerome Ford for a 5 yard loss on 4th and 1, forcing a turnover on downs that let to the Steelers final touchdown. Grade: A-

Ben Skowronek, Kadarius Toney, Steelers vs Browns

Ben Skowronek recovers a muffed punt. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Reivew

Secondary
DeShon Elliot led the team in tackles tipped a pass on third down in the Red Zone that set up a missed field goal. Joey Porter Jr. did commit a stupid penalty, but overall his play was strong. Minkah Fitzpatrick continues to keep a lid on the back end of the Steelers defense. Grade: A-

Special Teams
Chris Boswell was 2-2 on field goals and perfect on PATs. Corliss Waitman punted 6 times and turned in an outstanding afternoon. Calvin Austin did a respectable job returning punts. The Steelers kickoff coverage was suspect, as Jerome Ford got a 56 yard return. That mishap was made up for in part by Ben Skowronek excellent job recovering the muffed punt. Grade: B-

Coaching
With each passing week, Arthur Smith is looking like a smarter and smarter hire by Mike Tomlin. Up until 90 seconds before game time, the Steelers offensive coordinator thought he would have George Pickens available to him.

  • Then that change, and the offense lost its most dynamic talent.

It took a while to adjust and the numbers weren’t spectacular. But at the end of the day, Smith’s offense put 27 points on the board.

Teryl Austin’s defense did not have a good night against the Browns on the mistake by the Lake. Yes, it got turnovers twice in critical moments, but gave up too much before and after that. Jameis Winston is a quarterback who can catch fire in a hurry, but he’s also one who can crash and burn.

The Steelers defense made sure he never caught fire. Even on his second touchdown play, Austin’s defense made sure that the Browns burned up over 5 minutes of clock while down 3 scores in the 4th quarter. And when the Steelers offense faltered, Austin’s defense rose to the occasion and got the ball back 2 plays later.

“Get it right, instead of getting back.”

Football is an emotional game and one that must be played with passion. The Steelers loss to the Browns hurt their pride. The desire for revenge is strong. But revenge can be consuming. Mike Tomlin ensured that this did not happen and instead had his team focused on executing against the Browns, and that was a key difference between the two AFC North rivals. Grade: A

James Pierre, Steelers vs. Browns

James Pierre intercepts Jameis Winston. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Unsung Hero Award
You undoubtedly caught this player’s final play on an ESPN highlight reel. Yet his first one was arguably more important because it would have been a clear momentum shifter. Instead, this player who the Steelers didn’t resign last spring, who got cut by Washington and returned via the practice squad kept his chin strap buckled and ran down Jerome Ford preventing him from scoring on the opening kickoff and for that James Pierre wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2024 win over the Browns at Acrisure.

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