Steelers have big decision to make on defense ahead of Week 11

A week after the Steelers lost LB Cole Holcomb to a season-ending knee injury, they lost LB Kwon Alexander to a torn Achilles. The loss of both players has left the team with an important decision to make ahead of its Week 11 matchup against the Browns.

According to head coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh has not yet decided what player will wear the green dot for this week.

The player who wears the green dot is practically the quarterback of the defense. Holcomb wore it before he got injured and then Alexander took it over, but that only lasted a week.

The Steelers do have a couple of good options who could wear the green dot, such as veteran LB Elandon Roberts and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Roberts wore the green dot during his three-year stint with the Dolphins from 2020-22 and has by far the most experience in the inside linebacker room, which is the position that usually wears it.

The eighth-year veteran has 56 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one pass defensed on the season and may now be an every-down linebacker after being a part of the three-man rotation that included Holcomb and Alexander.

Fitzpatrick has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but Pittsburgh is hopeful the three-time Pro Bowler can return this week.

The All-Pro safety proved his high football IQ in the Steelers' Week 10 win when he convinced defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to switch the play call on the final play of the game, which resulted in a game-winning interception.

Either way, it is an important decision for Pittsburgh as Tomlin said "it was all very challenging from a communication standpoint" without Alexander, Holcomb and Fitzpatrick a week ago.