The Pittsburgh Steelers were recently dealt their first major season-ending injury, losing starting ILB Cole Holcomb to a serious knee injury a week ago against the Tennessee Titans.
The good news is that the team was already operating with a three-man rotation at the inside linebacker position, so as head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday, that simply means they will have to rely on a more “traditional” rotation with Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts shouldering the load.
The trio were all signed as experienced veteran free agents this offseason as new members of the organization. Last to join was Alexander, who signed shortly after the start of training camp on a veteran salary benefit contract.
Of course, all that means is that the Steelers have gotten good value for their money. Averaging about 60 percent of the snaps per game, Alexander has 41 tackles on the season, of which five have been for lost yardage, including one sack. He has a forced fumble, and last time out recorded the game-clinching interception with seconds to play.
He is on pace to see the most snaps he’s played in half a decade or more, but can he fully capture his former level of play, which was enough to earn Pro Bowl recognition? How much further can he take his sort of rejuvenation in what should be the latter stages of his career?
“I don’t know. I’ve just got to keep going”, he told reporters at the team facility Wednesday, via the team’s website. “I’m not going to put a limit on it. The sky’s the limit. This week I’m going in with the same strategy, just going and getting the ball. That’s my main goal”.
The Steelers almost completely remade their inside linebacker room from last season after being dissatisfied with their level of performance. They allowed Robert Spillane and Devin Bush to walk in free agency, opted not to re-sign Marcus Allen, and released Myles Jack, whom they’d signed the year before to a two-year, $16 million contract.
While they did not go for the splashy moves, the front office instead chose to seek out hardened, experienced veterans. Alexander was on their radar for months prior to actually signing him after he had an important bounce-back season in 2022 with the New York Jets following a series of injuries.
For the remainder of the season, the Steelers will get an extended look at how he handles a full-time role, logging 60-plus snaps per game, which will be significant for him. He played a more limited role in a rotation last season in New York. If he shows that he can handle a heavier workload, there may be one for him in Pittsburgh next year.
