Former Steelers LB Reaches Deal with Patriots
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane has agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract that includes $20.6M guaranteed with the New England Patriots, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
Spillane, 29, played the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, starting in all 17 games for the second straight season.
Spillane entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2018. He spent his rookie campaign on the Tennessee Titans squad before his release in the 2019 offseason. He was scooped up by the Steelers and he never looked back.
Spillane is now on his fourth NFL contract, receiving a pretty hefty deal in New England. It was in Pittsburgh where he started to take off.
Much of the 2019 season was spent on the practice squad, however he was eventually elevated to the active roster. He would contribute in special teams before he got his crack in the lineup in 2020. After Devin Bush was lost for the season, Spillane cracked the starting lineup and never looked back. He would go on to make 17 career starts for the Steelers the next three seasons. He totaled 191 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a memorable pick-6 in his second career start. He also had a legendary hit on the goal-line on Derrick Henry in 2020.
Spillane’s hard-nosed, throwback style of play will fit well under new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who’s also a former Steeler.
Spillane faced the Steelers in 2023 and 2024 with the Raiders, both were losses. Spillane and the Patriots will face the Steelers at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough in 2025.
The Patriots entered free agency with the most cap space at $122,447,401. Along with signing Spillane, the Patriots also bolstered their defense by signing cornerback Carlton Davis II to a three-year $60 million contract. The deal averages $20 million a year and contains $34.5 million fully guaranteed.