Steelers Veteran Elandon Roberts Doesn't Fully Rule Himself Out For Week 17 With Pec Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker room has been destroyed by injuries over the last month or two. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was able to deploy a competent three-man rotation, but none of those three veterans will be available in Week 17. At length, Tomlin talked about how important it was for the defense to be able to use that rotation. It allowed them to play each of its three guys to their strengths, but that has been lost with injuries.

Two of the top guys are out for the season, while Elandon Roberts has been hindered by injuries over the last few weeks. In his press conference on Tuesday, Tomlin ruled Roberts out for Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks with his pec injury. The team signed Jaylon Smith to its practice squad earlier in the week, another sign that Roberts won't be ready to play. On Thursday though, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Roberts isn't ruling himself out.

"If you know me, don't count me out," Roberts smiled.

Since Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander went down in back-to-back weeks, Roberts has been a real workhorse for Pittsburgh. Over the last two months, he's played over 80% of the team's defensive snaps. Unfortunately, he's had to leave two separate contests due to injury. One of them happened last week against the Cincinnati Bengals with his pec injury, as Myles Jack saw a big uptick in playing time.

Known primarily as a thumper in the running game, Roberts has been a tremendous value for the Steelers. After spending the first seven years of his career in the AFC East, he later signed a two-year, $7 million deal with Pittsburgh. Looking back, that has to be considered one of the best value deals of last offseason. While he's still been phenomenal in defending the run, Roberts has done surprisingly well in coverage as well.

Where Would The Steelers Be Without The 8-Year Veteran LB?

For years now, Steelers linebackers have struggled mightily in coverage. It's something that the front office wanted to improve last offseason, and the group as a whole has been much better in 2023. Of 82 qualified off-ball linebackers, Pro Football Focus ranks Roberts 33rd with a 70.9 overall grade. Again, that's tremendous value for a guy that signed a $7 million deal.

Moving forward, the Steelers don't exactly have to invest in the linebacker position this upcoming offseason. Roberts will be 30 years old by the time the 2024 season begins, so he has another good year or two in him. Holcomb will be coming off a major injury, but he's been a steady presence when healthy. Alexander is an interesting case, as he will also be coming off a major injury and we'll see if the Steelers opt to bring him back.

It's a must-win contest for the Steelers this weekend, so if Roberts could somehow play, it would be huge. Still, Tomlin ruling him out early in the week does essentially mean that the veteran won't play. As a result, it's likely that we will see a heavy dose of Jack. Mykal Walker has seen a slight decrease in playing time the last few weeks, but if Roberts is out, the team will have essentially no choice but to play him. Blake Martinez could be another name to watch for as well.

How big of an impact has Roberts provided for this defense in 2023? With him still likely out for Week 17, who are you most confident in from the linebacker room that is healthy? Do you still consider linebacker to be a long-term need for this team?