Leadership: you either have it or you don’t.
Fortunately for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they seem to have it in abundance, especially on the defensive side of the football.
Names like Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick lead the conversation when it comes to leadership defensively. But quietly, veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts is right up there from a leadership standpoint.
For The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, Roberts is an “extremely undervalued” player, one whose leadership you “can’t discount” defensively, especially coming off a strong 2023 season.
“Roberts is extremely undervalued. He would be lauded for the season he had in 2023 if it wasn’t for a defense full of talent elsewhere,” Kaboly writes for The Athletic. “His no-nonsense, old-school mentaity melds well with [Patrick] Queen’s athleticism.
“You can’t discount how much Roberts means as a leader and mentor to even the most seasoned veterans.”
Signed to a two-year deal last offseason, Roberts made a seamless transition to the Steelers, bringing his championship pedigree from New England with him, adding a serious physical element to the defense while bringing that steady veteran demeanor to the table.
Ultimately, the Steelers desperately needed that at inside linebacker in 2023.
Once veterans Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander went down in back-to-back weeks with season-ending injuries in Weeks 9 and 10, a significant workload was placed on Roberts. While the Steelers tried to mix and match at inside linebacker with guys right off the street or practice squad elevations, Roberts was the mainstay and performed very well.
Roberts went on to lead them in tackles with 101 on the season. He played just over 50% of the snaps on the season, too.
When the Steelers needed him the most, he stepped up in a major way, taking ownership of the inside linebackers room and elevating his play in big way.
He was incredibly valuable to the Steelers. He should be once again in 2024, even with the signing of Patrick Queen and the drafting of Payton Wilson, moves that have drawn a ton of attention this offseason. Roberts is lurking in the shadows though, right where he wants to be.
When the pads come on and things go live, he’ll be there, ready to go, bringing that no-nonsense, old-school downhill thumping style to the table, leading the charge in the physicality department as a key leader for the Steelers’ defense.
