Will the Steelers lose Elandon Roberts after reworking Cole Holcomb’s contract?
The Steelers signed both Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as free agents in 2023. They also signed Kwon Alexander later on, and the three shared playing time until injuries dictated otherwise. A year later, only Roberts remained, but the Steelers replaced the others.
Specifically, they went out and signed Patrick Queen as a free agent, then drafted Payton Wilson in the third round. Queen is an obvious every-down starter, and Wilson already played nearly 500 snaps last year. Given that, the Steelers won’t have a lot of snaps to pass around to Cole Holcomb—let alone Elandon Roberts.
The Steelers signed Holcomb to a three-year deal, but Roberts to a two-year deal. That means Roberts is a pending free agent, while Holcomb is under contract. While Roberts has said he wants to finish his career with the Steelers, their recent move has to give him some pause.
After all, he wants to play football. I’m sure he already wants to play more snaps than he had been getting. If the Steelers mean to incorporate Holcomb into the rotation with Queen and Wilson, what will be left over for Roberts?
No matter how much a team may like to make use of some kind of platoon, Pittsburgh is simply not going to rotate four inside linebackers—not significantly. Perhaps the Steelers might employ Elandon Roberts as a short-yardage and goal-line player. But if he doesn’t have to limit himself to that, he would be wise to seek out alternatives on the open market.
Of course, a lot of this depends on what the Steelers actually plan for Cole Holcomb. While we don’t have all the details of what they did to his contract, the presumption is that his cap savings is all or nearly all the product of a straight pay cut. Was the restructure an agreement to keep his job, or merely a way to give him the opportunity to earn it? If the latter, then he could be competing with Elandon Roberts for one roster spot. Or at least one game-day helmet on Sundays.
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defense matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. Do they still believe in Russell Wilson, and/or Justin Fields, or do they want another solution? There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
