Steelers Rule Key Linebacker Out vs. Seahawks

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without inside linebacker Elandon Roberts for their Week 17 game against the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday.

Roberts suffered a pectoral injury in the second quarter of his team’s 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and was quickly ruled out of returning to that game. Tomlin said on Tuesday that he will not play this week against the Seahawks, but stopped short of ruling him out for the remainder of the season, which could be a positive sign.

Roberts will have a personal consecutive games played streak snapped at 49. He last missed a game to injury on the final week of the 2020 season.

Roberts has been critical to the Steelers’ defensive efforts this season. He started the year as the third linebacker in rotation with Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, but when the two of them went down with season-ending injuries in Weeks 8 and 9, Roberts became a full-time starter and dragged a rotating cast of characters along with him at the position.

Roberts was replaced by Myles Jack in the starting lineup after going out. Jack had just joined the team last month, coming out of retirement to be part of the practice squad, and was playin in his first game of the season when he was thrust into the starting lineup.

Jack acquitted himself well, making six tackles, one for a loss, one sack and two quarterback hits. He is expected to start, along with Mykal Walker, at linebacker, for the Steelers this week against the Seahawks. Mark Robinson and Blake Martinez will provide depth.

Roberts is in the first year of his two-year contract with the Steelers, and should figure to return in 2024, whether or not he is able to work his way back into the lineup this season.