Who loses their spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster thanks to Tyler Matakevich?
The Steelers recently welcomed ILB Tyler Matakevich back into the fold, returning after four years in Buffalo. While he signed on the cheap, he is a likely bet for the 53-man roster because of his special-teams value. But when one person makes the 53-man roster, it has to come at somebody else’s expense.
So, which player who would have otherwise made the Steelers’ roster will miss out, thanks to Matakevich? That is assuming that Matakevich makes the team, of course, but it’s not a move you make the week before camp as just adding a body.
Logically, one might think that an inside linebacker is the most vulnerable, though not automatically. There is a special circumstance here because of Cole Holcomb’s status. If he starts the season on the PUP List, keeping the keepers at Matakevich’s position becomes a lot easier.
We have already talked about Mark Robinson, for example. Like Matakevich, he is threatening to become exclusively a special-teams player. But he is not at Matakevich’s level, so if the choice is between the two, expect the Steelers to keep the more experienced player.
If Holcomb is not available, the Steelers can keep both Tyler Matakevich and Mark Robinson, though, taking them instead from another position. This might make keeping seven defensive linemen impossible, so guys like Isaiahh Loudermilk and Logan Lee are at risk. We can also consider somebody like Ryan Watts vulnerable as a special-teams-first secondary candidate.
About a decade ago, the Steelers entered a season with only three outside linebackers, and they could do that here. They like Nick Herbig a lot as their third rusher and could keep two more guys on the practice squad. This way, they could keep both Matakevich and Robinson while balancing the numbers at linebacker as a whole.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
