It’s become an annual ritual for the Pittsburgh Steelers to add at least one player to the 90-man roster during training camp who makes the 53-man roster. They have made one prominent roster addition so far since camp has opened in ILB Kwon Alexander, the sort of player you would expect to make any roster.
You can consider CB Patrick Peterson a fan, having played against him a handful of times over the course of their respective careers and admiring his game, particularly his energy. “Love the pickup”, he said, when the subject of Alexander came up on his All Things Covered podcast with cousin Bryant McFadden.
“He brings a different type of energy that ‘backers need to bring play in and play out”, he said. “He reminds me—not saying that he is—but he has that energy of a Ray Lewis. He’s gonna be all around the field. He’s gonna be a guy that’s talking that trash, that’s bringing that thump. And he’s gonna back it up”.
Now let’s make it clear here. Peterson wasn’t comparing Alexander to Lewis, the Hall of Famer and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, in terms of talent level and production. He said that the energy he brings to the team and the game reminds him of that aspect of Lewis.
“He made a tackle today and [Coach Mike Tomlin] said, ‘Welcome to PA. He’s gonna fit right in’”, the veteran cornerback pointed out of Alexander, who was participating in just his second day of practice with the team since signing.
The former Pro Bowler is just one part of a massive overhaul of the inside linebacker room in Pittsburgh this offseason. Gone are Devin Bush, Myles Jack, Robert Spillane, and Marcus Allen. Inbound this year via free agency are Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Tanner Muse, Nick Kwiatkoski, and now the most veteran and experienced of the bunch, Alexander.
His biggest issue over the course of his career has unfortunately been staying healthy. The 2022 season with the New York Jets was his first since 2016, and just his second in his entire career, in which he played in more than 12 games. He has not played 600 or more snaps in the past two seasons, and he hasn’t hit 700 since 2017, the year he made the Pro Bowl.
Yet at least until recently, when he is on the field he has been an every-down defender. The only problem has been staying there. Perhaps that’s why the Jets kept his workload down, or one of the reasons. Even though he played in all 17 games, he only logged 559 snaps, or just under half of their defensive total.
What role will he play for Pittsburgh? Head coach Mike Tomlin insists he’s gone into this process with no preconceived notions. It certainly wouldn’t be a shock to see him earn a starting role before the end of the preseason, or at least a prominent contributing role in some other fashion.
