Looking at adding even more depth off a win, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a familiar face in town for a visit on Monday. After being released at the end of training camp, Elandon Roberts is back in Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers, as first reported by Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders.
Elandon Roberts Could Be Rejoining the Steelers
With Roberts still without a team and the desire to shore up the defense, the Steelers are meeting with Roberts with the intention of signing him back to the roster for a third stint with the franchise.
While the interest in Roberts isn’t surprising, and was thought to be a possibility at the time of his release, it does come just over a month following Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy explaining the decision to cut the veteran inside linebacker as one about a roster fit.
Mike McCarthy Didn’t Feel Elandon Roberts Was the Right Fit
“Number 1, outstanding player. He came here late. He definitely lived up to his reputation. I enjoyed him while he was here. Wish him the best of luck,” said McCarthy said when asked by reporters after practice on Tuesday.
“You know, there’s a lot of things that go into those final decisions. Special teams is usually a big part of once you get past who you see the first 11 or 12 going out on field, offense and defense,” McCarthy added. “And I’ve talked extensively during the initial process about different combinations of players. Different things we’re doing schematically that will get into once we play our first game.”
Roberts Has Consistently Proven to Be a Productive Player
However, Roberts track record is what made his release surprising. He’s coming off a season in which he recorded 90 total tackles with six tackles for a loss and a pass deflection for Las Vegas. And he was already familiar with the Steelers, granted under the old Mike Tomlin regime.
With Pittsburgh, Roberts, 32, posted 101 tackles in 2023, falling just seven shy of setting a new single-season career-high. He even had 2.5 sacks as well. But his numbers did dip in 2024, as he only registered 46 tackles, one sack and five tackles for a loss in his last campaign for the Steelers in 2024.
In 157 NFL games and 121 starts across 10 season, Roberts, a sixth round pick by the Patriots in 2016, has 694 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 60 tackles for a loss, 13 pass deflections, 13 forced fumbles and an interception from time logged with New England, the Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders. Roberts was a member of two Super Bowl winning teams with the Patriots – Super Bowl LI and LIII.
Report: Familiar Face Possibly Rejoining Steelers