Mike Tomlin Confirms Joe Schobert Will Practice on Sunday

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers made a trade for former Browns and Jaguars linebacker Joe Schobert on Thursday night. While he was at Heinz Field on Saturday, he did not suit and practice. That will all change on Sunday, as Schobert will suit up in a Steelers uniform for the first time. When asked when Schobert would suit up, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed the Pro Bowler will be on the field Sunday.

“Joe will be practicing tomorrow,” Tomlin said. “We are excited about having him.”

On what the Steelers will be getting in Schobert, Tomlin spoke glowing of their new addition, who they were familiar with from his time with the Cleveland Browns.

“Productivity is what I see when I think of Joe, man,” Tomlin said. “He needs no endorsement from me. We’re familiar with him as a former AFC North guy. He’s been highly productive in every circumstance he’s been in. He’s a sideline-to-sideline tackler. He’s good in coverage. He has coverage production in terms of interceptions, he has sack production, and he plays a well-rounded game. We’re excited about infusing him into what we do.”

Tomlin clearly sees Schobert as a highly sought-after player. However, he was mum about whether they would put Schobert in direct competition with Devin Bush for the dime linebacker spot.

“You know, I’m not ready to speculate at this juncture,” Tomlin said. “We got a lot of work in front of us and they’ll determine the division of labor with their quality of work.”

Schobert is likely to be the default starter right beside Bush in the team’s base and nickel packages. While he played in a 4-3 defense in Cleveland, Schobert’s switch to the Buck spot should not be too hard given how many principles it shares with Mike linebacker spot in a 4-3 defense.