The New England Patriots might be giving linebacker Mark Robinson a chance to get back at his old team.
The Patriots announced they are elevating Robinson off of the practice squad to the active/inactive roster ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
Along with Robinson, the Patriots are elevating defensive back Kobee Minor, too, after star cornerback Christian Gonzalez was ruled out Saturday.Â
Robinson spent the first three seasons of his career with the Steelers after being a seventh-round pick out of Ole Miss, where he played linebacker for one season following the start of his collegiate career at Southeast Missouri State as a running back.
Coming into Year 4 with the Steelers, Robinson found himself in a position battle with 2025 seventh-round pick Carson Bruener for the final inside linebacker and special teams job under coordinator Danny Smith. Robinson even added some fullback experience to his resume during training camp, tapping back into his running back roots.
But the versatility didn’t help him hold onto a job as the Steelers cut him loose. He landed in New England, signing to the Patriots’ practice squad on August 28.
Here’s how we summed up Robinson’s summer performance in the Black and Gold before his release.
“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.“
In his three seasons with Pittsburgh, Robinson logged 645 snaps on special teams and added another 203 on defense, playing in primarily a run-stopping role.
So far this season in New England, Robinson has been elevated twice and played in both games, seeing 26 snaps on special teams. This marks his third elevation, so the Patriots will have to sign him to the 53-man roster if they want him to see game action after Week 3.
