The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the thick of the AFC playoff picture. A brutal loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13 significantly hurt their chances of keeping pace with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North crown. A plethora of things have gone wrong for Mike Tomlin's group throughout the 2023 season, but somehow, the franchise is 7-5 with five games remaining in the regular season. The postseason is still very much in reach, but the team has gotten hit with the injury bug in recent weeks. Aside from Kenny Pickett's ankle surgery, the inside linebacker room is by far the most concerning moving forward.
While Pickett is expected to return at some point before the regular season comes to a close, two key players on defense in Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were lost for the year after suffering injuries in back to back weeks. Elandon Roberts was the only one remaining that was involved with the position's overhaul in the 2023 offseason, but he also is dealing with a groin injury.
Mark Robinson came into the season as the only one on the depth chart that was in the 2022 version of the inside linebackers' room. He was looked at as a guy with raw ability when he was drafted in the seventh round back in 2022. Fans want to see the hard-hitting defender be out there for the majority of downs, but on Tuesday, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin still doesn't think Robinson's ready.
If Roberts can't go in Week 14 against the New England Patriots, it appears there will be a strategic rotation between Robinson, Mykal Walker and Blake Martinez. It's a concerning issue to have in December, and it makes it worse that the coaching staff still doesn't trust a guy who has been in the system for longer than any other inside linebacker on the roster.
The Steelers are entering a crucial stretch in the 2023 season and could be starting a fourth different linebacker to wear the green dot at the start of a game on Thursday Night Football if Roberts can't play. Communication is key on the defensive side of the ball and it's clear that Pittsburgh lacked that once Walker took over in Sunday's loss.
The hope is that Roberts' ailment is not too serious, but with a mini-bye week coming up after New England, it shouldn't come as a surprise if he is sitting out of the contest as a precaution because he isn't 100%. Despite the Patriots' offensive woes throughout the majority of the season, a couple bad miscommunications for the Steelers could make the game a heck of a lot closer than it should be.
No one should expect Pittsburgh to give the green dot to Robinson, but the fact that he still isn't seen as a guy who could potentially do it speaks volumes about where the organization's coaches believe he is at in his second season. He was always going to be a guy who needed a lot of practice reps to earn playing time and mature, but after almost two full seasons on the 53-man roster, Austin seems to still not fully trust him.
Steelers Can't Make Excuses For Tough Injury Luck
Injuries are a part of football, especially in the NFL. No one feels sorry for Pittsburgh after some bad breaks on both sides of the ball. The injury report hasn't been pretty for the majority of the season, and it probably won't be on Thursday prior to a must-win game against the Patriots. The healthy guys, like Robinson, need to step up regardless of when or how much their number is called.
Do you find it concerning that the Steelers still don't have complete faith in Robinson?
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