The Pittsburgh Steelers have their work cut out for them this offseason as they try to build a contending roster. No longer in a “reloading” stage, they are now a team looking for answers rather than filling gaps. After another disappointing season in 2023, we look back on the roster as we move into the next phase.
Position: Inside Linebacker
Total Positional Figure: 7
Additions: 0
Deletions: 1
Players Retained:
Under Contract:
Cole Holcomb: Signed to a three-year, $18 million deal a year ago, Holcomb is in injury purgatory. He suffered a serious knee injury in Week 9, and the Steelers don’t know when to expect him back. By the sounds of it, they aren’t counting on him being on the field for the season opener.
Elandon Roberts: Roberts signed a two-year, $7 million deal a year ago that proved quite worth the money. He recorded 101 tackles with 10 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two passes defensed. After the injuries mounted, he stepped up as the voice of the unit—then battled through injuries himself.
Mark Robinson: Robinson is facing a pivotal third season. If he fails to earn a meaningful contributory role in 2024, he never may. The Steelers brought in a litany of alternatives to play ahead of him when injuries created opportunities. He ultimately played only 151 defensive snaps but secured a special teams role to the tune of 302 more.
Kyron Johnson: I admit I forgot Kyron Johnson existed, yet he logged 100 snaps on special teams last season. He played six games, half of them as a practice squad call-up before they needed to sign him to the 53-man roster. Originally signed to the practice squad Oct. 9, he has a full offseason to advance his station.
Pending Free Agents:
Kwon Alexander: A late addition just after the start of training camp, Alexander impressed while healthy. His veteran experience showed, but so did his injury history. A week after making a game-sealing interception, he tore his Achilles tendon. Operating on a one-year contract, do the Steelers want to re-sign him? They likely wait until he is healthy.
Mykal Walker: Walker started five of nine games after coming up from the practice squad following the Holcomb and Alexander injuries. He struggled after a game or two as defenses targeted him in coverage, ultimately losing playing time. Still, he never fell completely out of the rotation. He is an unrestricted free agent who should not command more than a Veteran Salary Benefit deal.
Tyler Murray: A former safety, Murray spent the 2023 season on the practice squad. He was initially an option to receive playing time after the injuries, but that never developed. The Steelers did, however, re-sign him on a Reserve/Future deal.
Additions: N/A
Deletions:
Blake Martinez: Martinez is already a free agent after the Steelers failed to retain him after the season from the practice squad. Either they did not sufficiently like what they got from him, or he is perhaps opting to retire again. He never earned a regular role even after they lost two starting inside linebackers, so that says enough.
Offseason Strategy:
Despite adding three significant pieces last offseason, the Steelers are back in the market for inside linebackers. There’s a good chance they try to add a veteran starter in outside free agency. Roberts is limited as a defender despite his annoyance at that characterization. Holcomb’s timeline for return is unknown, and Alexander isn’t even under contract. Robinson is a wild-card at this point, nothing more.
Alex Kozora offered a host of free agent options including Jerome Baker, released yesterday, Kenneth Murray, and Jordyn Brooks. The draft is another option, of course, but this is not the strongest class for off-ball linebackers. And the Steelers have much bigger needs at more premium positions.
