In 2023, the Pittsburgh Steelers went from having great linebacker depth, to having no linebacker depth. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back weeks, which forced the Steelers to sign Mykal Walker, as well as pulling Myles Jack out of trade school to come back to football. Holcomb is still on the roster, and he will compete with Elandon Roberts for playing time alongside Patrick Queen. Meanwhile, Alexander is still a free agent, and he is just looking to sign with any team at this point.
To generate any interest at all, however, Alexander needs to prove that he is healing up properly and will be ready to play. He made a post on Instagram that is doing just that: showing off where he is in the recovery process.
Alexander is showing off his footwork and running drills in cleats for the first time since he tore his Achilles tendon. In the video, he is watching the "quarterback" and making quick moves to jump on the passes and intercept them. All the cuts and sidesteps that he makes are smooth, and it seems like his heel is recovering well.
In the nine games that Alexander played in 2023, he had 41 tackles, including 32 solo tackles, as well as a sack, a forced fumble, and a game-sealing interception. Despite the fact that he was not the starting linebacker, he still had an impact on the defense, and they sorely missed him when he tore his Achilles. If he recovers as well as he seems to be, he should not have a problem being a key contributor to teams around the league.
Would The Steelers Bring Alexander Back?
Even though the Steelers have three starting-caliber linebackers on the team, they would most likely consider a reunion with Alexander. Due to his injury, he would likely have a very similar contract as the one he signed in 2023. A one-year deal would make the most sense for the Steelers, in case he does not heal up as quickly as it seems. He was signed towards the beginning of training camp last year, and he might have to wait that long to sign again.
Holcomb is also coming off of a season-ending injury. They could bring Alexander back as an insurance policy in case Holcomb does not recover well. If they both recover well, then they would most likely have cut or trade one of them away, but it's better to have that kind of problem than to not take that chance and have no depth due to Holcomb's injury.
Queen will be the unquestioned starter in the linebacker room, but after that, it will be a dogfight with Holcomb, Roberts, and potentially Alexander. There is no such thing as too much depth, as the Steelers learned last year. Teryl Austin promised a steady rotation of the linebackers in 2023, and as long as Holcomb is healthy, that is to be expected again, whether Alexander is re-signed or not.
Injuries happen all the time, so having four capable starting linebackers is not a bad thing, especially with how cheap Alexander would likely be. The constant rotation of linebackers could also prevent injury, since the starters would have more than enough rest during the games, as well as less wear-and-tear on their bodies. If the Steelers do not sign him, then he can make some other team happy as a high-end depth piece that can start in a pinch.
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