Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mark Robinson has a new NFL home. He has signed to the New England Patriots practice squad, per the league’s transactions sheet. The Patriots’ website also announced the move.
He is the first Steeler released at cutdowns to latch on with another team, though Pittsburgh retained many of the players released. All 17 practice squad spots are occupied by players who spent the summer with the team. Offensive lineman Aiden Williams was the 17th and final name added today.
Robinson was released by the Steelers Tuesday as the team trimmed its roster to the NFL-mandated 53-man group. A seventh round draft pick in 2022, Robinson served as a special teamer for his three years in Pittsburgh. He appeared in 38 games with four starts, logging 45 tackles and one sack.
He logged over 600 snaps on special teams and 203 defensively, used in specialty run-stopping packages. Most of his defensive snaps came in 2023 when the Steelers were rocked by multiple injuries. But Pittsburgh turned to more veteran options rather than giving Robinson consistent playing time, losing out to Mykal Walker, an unretired Myles Jack, and others.
Robinson lost his spot on the roster to seventh-round rookie Carson Bruener, whose impressive special teams snaps was enough to beat Robinson out. Here’s how we summed up Robinson’s summer performance.
“A nice, albeit typical, camp for Mark Robinson. A thumper who attacks the run, he and RB Evan Hull enjoyed spirited battles in backs on ‘backers. With a full head of speed, Robinson can truck and pancake opponents in those drills. Robinson was all around the ball in camp and is processing faster than he once did. No surprise given his experience in the league and growth since switching from running back to linebacker his senior year of college.
Robinson logged two reps at fullback during the goal-line drill at camp, even having a white offensive player No. 93 made for him. But the team never revisited it the rest of the summer. It now feels like a kiss of death to dabble at fullback in the summer. It couldn’t save Kendrick Green or Robinson, who was cut yesterday.“
Now, Robinson will try to work his way back onto the Patriots’ active/inactive roster. Under new head coach Mike Vrabel, New England has reshaped its roster so perhaps there’s a chance for Robinson to climb the roster ladder.
