It appears that the Pittsburgh Steelers have decided on the next defender to be the lead communicator on play calls to the rest of the defense.
According to Rat Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, LB Kwon Alexander will wear the green communication dot going forward with LB Cole Holcomb out for the season.
After signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers early in free agency, Holcomb was projected to be the player wearing the green dot, being the player to communicate play calls in from the sideline to the rest of the defense. He carried that responsibility during his time with the Washington Commanders, being that three-down linebacker who plays most of the snaps both in run and pass situations, having the skill set to play in every situation as well as the mental acumen and communication skills to relay the play calls to the rest of the defense.
Holcomb suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Tennessee Titans last Thursday after taking friendly fire from S Keanu Neal as his leg went into Holcomb’s knee as both were attempting to tackle WR DeAndre Hopkins.
Alexander is the next logical choice to boast the green dot for the defense, being a three-down linebacker himself who plays with more speed and has better coverage capabilities than teammate Elandon Roberts. Alexander was part of a three-man rotation at inside linebacker, having played 61% of the defensive snaps this season. That number should drastically increase as Alexander plays more of Holcomb’s role, being that three-down linebacker who plays the run but also drops into coverage.
The green dot comes with a lot of responsibility, getting the play call in from the defensive coordinator to the rest of the defenders on the field. He’s carried that responsibility before during his time in Tampa Bay, being the MIKE linebacker who had to make the calls and make sure everyone was in place. He’ll get his first action back wearing the green dot this Sunday against Green Bay. The Packers are coming off a win at home against the Los Angeles Rams, hoping to get their season turned around with QB Jordan Love and RB Aaron Jones leading their offensive attack.
