The Pittsburgh Steelers, like every other team in the NFL, must trim their roster down to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon. Considering how much talent the Steelers have at their disposal currently, the front office is going to have to make some tough decisions over the next few hours when it comes to the construction of their roster.
For the most part, the team has been planning for this day for quite some time now, but that doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. Case in point, Pittsburgh ended up surprisingly releasing one of its former starting linebackers, Elandon Roberts, as part of its roster cuts on Sunday morning, dealing its defensive depth an unexpected blow.
Steelers Release Linebacker Elandon Roberts as Part of Roster Cuts
A sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Roberts initially broke into the pros with the New England Patriots. Despite being a late Day 3 pick, Roberts immediately carved out a role for himself on defense, and he ended up winning a pair of Super Bowls with them in 2016 and 2018.
Roberts left town after the 2019 campaign in search of a full-time starting role, and he found that with the Pats’ AFC rival, the Miami Dolphins. After three years with them, Roberts spent two years with the Steelers before latching on with the Las Vegas Raiders last year. Over the offseason, he reunited with Pittsburgh, seemingly giving the team another reliable inside linebacker.
While Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen are clearly the Steelers’ starters at this spot, Roberts seemed to have the inside track when it came to earning a depth role for himself. Instead, the team has decided to move on from him, as it is releasing Roberts as part of its final roster cuts in a relatively surprising move.
Steelers have released former starting linebacker Elandon Roberts,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in a post on X.
Steelers Leave Fans Scratching Their Heads With Elandon Roberts Release
For all intents and purposes, Roberts is fresh off another strong season for the Raiders, as he racked up 90 tackles and one pass breakup in 17 games of action (16 of which were starts). At worst, he was a reliable depth option who has experience playing in the Steelers’ defense, but Mike McCarthy and the new-look coaching staff clearly felt he was not necessary for them.
That leaves Cole Holcomb as the top backup at the inside linebacker spot, meaning Pittsburgh is in a bit of a unique spot when it comes to its depth at this position. More moves will certainly be made over the next few hours, but the release of Roberts has quickly become the most surprising decision the Steelers have made as part of their roster cuts.
Steelers Release Former Starting Linebacker in Unexpected Move