Almost every inside linebacker the Pittsburgh Steelers started the season with is now gone, out with injuries. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were lost for the season in consecutive weeks, while Elandon Roberts’ long-term status is currently unknown but seemingly unlikely to return in the very near future.
Given the circumstances, the team has had to put the front office into overdrive seeking the best available options, especially after the trade deadline. Since the start of the season, they Steelers have added Mykal Walker, Myles Jack, and Blake Martinez, all of whom have seen the field. Most recently, they added another veteran, Jaylon Smith, to their practice squad, and he is quite confident he could play on Sunday if needed.
“I’ve done it before, multiple times in my career”, he pointed out during his first interview since signing with the practice squad, via the team’s website. “I’ve gotten assigned to a team on a Friday and played 48 hours later. I’ve gotten in on a Thursday and started on a Sunday”.
A 2017 second-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, he was first released on Oct. 6, 2021, signing with the Green Bay Packers the following day. He was inactive for his first game with them three days later but played the following week. Later that season he did play three days after signing with the New York Giants.
Earlier this year, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 2 and played three days later. But that is the only game that he has played all season. After logging over 600 snaps in 2022, he has played just 25 since then.
“For me, it’s just about getting here, getting around the guys, understanding the chemistry, understanding what we’re trying to do and achieve, and get the playbook down from there”, Smith said. “I know what I can do on the field”.
He also told reporters that he is “absolutely” ready to go from a physical perspective. As far as the mental aspect goes, “There’s no way around it, you got to put the time in. I’m a guy that’s got experience, understands a lot of schemes that I’ve been in. You just got to understand the terminology and then get out there and be great”.
Smith has played some good ball, surely. In his first three full seasons, he registered 417 tackles with 17 for loss, adding eight sacks, 13 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, five recoveries (with one touchdown), two interceptions, and 18 passes defensed. He earned a Pro Bowl trip in 2019.
But he has not played a full season since 2020 and has struggled to retain employment. He has been on now six different teams since the start of the 2021 season, including the New Orleans Saints this offseason and on their practice squad.
Will he suit up and play this Sunday? Given that he has been out of football for over a month, I wouldn’t imagine so, even with Roberts out. The Steelers still have Walker, Jack, Martinez, and Mark Robinson. But he’ll be ready and willing should he get the opportunity.
