One might be inclined to wonder if the Pittsburgh Steelers tempted fate by claiming that they had not two but three starters at inside linebacker. Now two of those starters have been lost for the season in consecutive weeks. Cole Holcomb suffered a knee injury first, and then Kwon Alexander went down with a reported ruptured Achilles.
That leaves just Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson on the 53-man roster, which will necessitate moves being made. The Steelers elevated Tariq Carpenter from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, but it seems the expectation is veteran Mykal Walker will be promoted and signed to the active roster this week.
A 2020 fourth-round draft pick out of Fresno State by the Atlanta Falcons, Walker has started 20 of 49 career games, including 12 of 16 in 2022. He recorded 107 tackles last season with two interceptions and a sack.
But he didn’t make the cut, indeed waived in mid-August. He’s since been with the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders, the Steelers signing him to the practice squad on Oct. 30, a week after the Raiders released him from theirs. Now perhaps on the cusp of getting back into the mix, he admits “It’s been huge”.
“To be honest, I never thought I’d be in this situation, especially off what I did last year in Atlanta”, he said yesterday, via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “For me, just mentally, riding the rollercoaster up and down waiting for my number to get called [has been a challenge]. My agent keeps me grounded. Sometimes I’m just ready to explode”.
Walker got nicked up and was potentially going to miss time during training camp at the time that he was released, according to contemporary reports. The Bears, however, claimed him off waivers, though he did not make their roster two weeks later. Nor did he sign to their practice squad after the Aug. 29 cuts.
Indeed, it wasn’t until Sept. 19 that he signed with the Raiders’ practice squad, more than a month after being waived initially. That perhaps lends some credence to the idea that he was recovering from an injury, though he made no mention of it to reporters yesterday. Either way, it’s been a long journey back to the cusp of a 53.
“It’s taught me a lot. You’ve just got to be ready when your opportunity’s called”, he said. “If you look at my first two years in Atlanta, it’s been the same way. I’ve always been that guy to wait and scrap and fight to get to the top”.
Of course, nothing is definite just yet, but it seems very likely that Walker, and perhaps Carpenter both, will be signed to the roster to replace Holcomb and Alexander. Alexander and RB Godwin Igwebuike would be the likely moves to make room, the former obviously being placed on the Reserve/Injured List, where he will join Holcomb. The Steelers also released NT Breiden Fehoko Monday, leaving an open spot on their 53-man roster.
