The Steelers are back to circling Elandon Roberts, and this time the move feels less like a glance and more like a matter of when.
Pittsburgh has brought the veteran linebacker in for another visit after cutting him loose in August, and ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported Monday that a practice-squad signing is in play. For a player the Steelers have already signed twice - in March 2023 and again on Aug. 13, 2026 - the whole thing has started to feel like a revolving door. They released him once, on Aug. 30, and now they’re looking at him again.
There’s a clear reason Roberts keeps coming back into the picture: he knows defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s system from his time in Las Vegas last season. That familiarity should give him a head start if Pittsburgh does bring him back, especially as a run defender. The sense here is that a practice-squad reunion makes the most sense, even if nothing has been finalized yet.
And the Steelers have a pretty obvious reason to keep digging. Patrick Queen’s early-season work hasn’t made him untouchable.
Through five games, Queen has a 54.2 overall PFF grade, which ranks 59th among 72 qualifying linebackers. PFF has also given him a 46.6 coverage grade and credited him with six missed tackles. His 66.9 run-defense grade looks better, but the bigger picture is that his play hasn’t locked down the job without question.
Roberts has already shown he can handle real work for Pittsburgh. According to the team’s records, he posted 147 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 33 games during 2023-24.
He also turned in 10 tackles and two tackles for loss across two preseason games this year. He still hasn’t taken a regular-season snap in 2026.
What Roberts has always offered is a compact, useful role. This preseason, he finished off two Jets possessions by helping shut down a third-and-3 run and a fourth-and-3 completion, both limited to two yards. That’s the kind of early-down, short-yardage work he can handle while Payton Wilson flies around and chases the ball.
That said, Roberts solving the run game doesn’t magically answer the problem in coverage. Queen’s issues in space still leave Pittsburgh searching for help when opponents spread things out and force linebackers to defend the passing game.
If Roberts earns more run-down work, that doesn’t automatically mean he should be taking on Queen’s passing-down responsibilities. Wilson or an extra defensive back would still be the more likely answer there.
There’s also a clear path for Pittsburgh to test-drive Roberts before making anything bigger. The practice-squad elevation rules allow three game-day elevations.
After that, the Steelers could leave him on the practice squad unless they give him a spot on the 53-man roster. In the meantime, they could use him against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 18, the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 25 and the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 1, then head into the bye.
That stretch also lines up with the trade deadline, which falls on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. ET.
If Roberts plays well enough over that window, the Steelers could have a real decision to make. From there, Omar Khan could decide whether to shop Queen.
That would require a willing trade partner, and it would also mean Patrick Graham would need to figure out who handles the defensive communication if Queen is out. Roberts could be the easy answer there, too, since he wore the green dot in 2023 and again in the 2026 preseason.
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