Steelers DC Teryl Austin Foresees Mark Robinson And Mykal Walker Getting Snaps With Latest Injury To LB Room

Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost another key member of its defense in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans. Linebacker Cole Holcomb was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game and within days, it was quickly determined that he was out of the season. The former Washington Commanders linebacker played 447 (77%) snaps across eight games for the Steelers.

That leaves a big void in the middle of the defense. On the plus side, it opens up some opportunities for others. Second-year linebacker Mark Robinson seemed to be the obvious beneficiary, particularly given the fact that he's played just four defensive snaps in 2023. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin confirmed that on Thursday, as he told the media that the team has started to get Robinson prepared.

"He moves, he's quick, he's decisive, so I think he brings some suddenness and some spunk to that [linebacker] room," Austin said about Alexander back in August. "He's quick to key and trigger, and that's a good thing. We'll just continue to work him, let him get more comfortable in our scheme and the things that we're doing, and I think we'll just continue to see improvement from him."

Furthermore, Mykal Walker was another in-house option that seemed likely to help out the depth of that group. He's been on the practice squad for a few weeks, and he brings some experience to the table. In 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons, Walker had 107 tackles, two interceptions, six pass deflections, and four pass deflections across 12 starts. Along with Robinson, Austin mentioned the 2020 fourth-rounder as a guy that could see time moving forward.

The coaching staff gave Walker reps at practice on Wednesday, which means he will likely be elevated to the active roster for Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers. Not only did the Steelers lose a huge on-field contributor in Holcomb, but they also lost their primary communicator in the middle of the defense. With Holcomb and Minkah Fitzpatrick out, the defense is lacking vocal leaders in the back of the defense.

Who Will The Steelers' Most Trusted Linebacker Be Now?

With Holcomb out, Austin has given the reigns of the green dot to veteran Kwon Alexander. Signed just ahead of the season, Alexander has proved to be a tremendous acquisition. He's played 61% of the defensive snaps and moving forward, that number will only increase without Holcomb in the rotation. The 2017 Pro Bowler has 41 total tackles and five tackles for loss on the season, as he'll be given a lot more responsibilities now.

Elandon Roberts has provided a real impact in the run game as well, but he did pop up on the team's injury report on Wednesday. He was a limited participant with a knee injury, but he should be good to go against the Packers. He hasn't seen nearly as much playing time as the other two, but he's still technically started seven of the team's eight contests. Amongst 81 qualifying linebackers, Pro Football Focus has Roberts ranked 29th with a 72.9 overall grade. 

It's clear that replacing Holcomb won't just come from one guy. The Steelers have a nice three-man rotation going this season, as Mike Tomlin talked about Tuesday, but that will look different now. Instead, the coaching staff will have to rely on multiple bodies to replace the number of snaps that Holcomb gave them in 2023. For the time being, let's hope Holcomb can come back fully healthy for 2024.

With Holcomb out for the rest of the season, who are you looking at stepping up? Do you think Walker can provide legitimate depth behind the starters? How much playing time do you think Robinson will get moving forward?