Just a few days ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers named star edge rusher TJ Watt as the team's MVP for the 2023 season. It was his fourth time winning the award in the last five seasons, and it was well-deserved. He led the league with 19 sacks, which doesn't even begin to captivate his overall impact on each game. Beyond Watt, there's an argument that Elandon Roberts has been the second-most valuable player on the Steelers defense this year.
Signed to a two-year, $7 million contract last offseason, he's more than lived up to that deal. In fact, he's become a fan favorite less than year into this time in Pittsburgh. Roberts has played through a plethora of injuries over the last two months, which has only held him out of one full game. After the team's Week 18 victory against the Baltimore Ravens, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's YouTube page, Roberts spoke about the desire to not let his peers down or the city of Pittsburgh for that matter.
"I'm not letting no player or coach or this organization down, or the city of Pittsburgh down. If I can go, I'm going. Like I told you guys when the groin happened, when y'all watch the film, if I did something bad, quote me on being 100% healthy," Roberts said after the win. "Don't take nothing off me. That's the type of mindset into the game. If I say I'm playing, I'm playing and what you get is what you get."
In other words, he will never blame being injured on a poor performance. Heading into the Week 18 must-win contest, Roberts' status was up in the air. He had missed Week 17 with a pec injury, as Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin ruled out him early that week. Roberts still refused to fully rule himself out, but the injury did eventually force him to miss his first game of the year.
Just a week ago, the eight-year linebacker told reporters that he would return against the Ravens. He did, albeit in a limited fashion, as he played 22 (38.6%) snaps against the division rival. Not only did he play with his pec injury, but he could barely raise his left arm above his head. Despite that, he played through the pain and helped lead the team to the playoffs.
Should The Steelers Extend Roberts This Offseason?
Roberts is just the type of player that the Steelers needed, both on and off the field. While his contract extends through the 2024 season, there's a possibility that the front office considers giving him an extension this offseason. He's been that good for the Steelers, and they will need him once again this weekend. In this week's press conference, Tomlin said Roberts will be limited early in the week. Still, it seems likely that he will play again on Sunday.
After the season-ending injuries to two key starters in back-to-back weeks late in the season, Roberts' presence has been even more crucial. He has played through obvious injuries, but he's also been effective in his time on the field. Amongst 83 qualified linebackers on Pro Football Focus, Roberts ranked 26th with an 72.5 overall grade for the regular season. The veteran has always been known as a thumper in the run game, but he's been solid in coverage as well.
This weekend's playoff game against the Buffalo Bills won't be pretty with snow and cold temperatures in the forecast. Roberts is accustomed to playing the Bills though after he spent the first seven years of his career in the AFC East. He's familiar with Josh Allen and that talented Bills offense, which Pittsburgh's defense will have to slow down in order to have a chance at winning. In the meantime, we should take a moment to appreciate just how crucial Roberts has been to this year's Steelers team.
Where would this Steelers defense and linebacker room be without Roberts?
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