Elandon Roberts James Harrison
Elandon Roberts James Harrison
The Pittsburgh Steelers need their inside linebackers to be more physical this season, especially after the unit struggled to stop the run in 2025.
Enter Elandon Roberts.
Roberts is incredibly physical, and he has shown it in training camp, popping pads in one of the final practices at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
New head coach Mike McCarthy recently spoke about how the inside linebacker room respects Roberts and how much his teammates like him. First-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham also raved about the veteran linebacker. Graham spent the 2025 season with Roberts in Las Vegas.
Former Steelers linebacker James Harrison played with Roberts in New England during the 2017 season. Harrison also spoke highly of the veteran linebacker.
“Dude, I played with E [Elandon Roberts] when I went to New England in 2017, dude, and he was smart as hell back then,” Harrison said of Roberts, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “Extremely high football IQ back then. And now, hey man, he done mastered that.
“And he likes the physical part of playing football.”
When coaches and players talk about Roberts, they usually bring up his physicality and smarts. As a veteran inside linebacker, Roberts has been around the block. He knows football intimately and is a great communicator, something the Steelers desperately need on the interior.
Add in his physical playing style, and it makes sense why Pittsburgh brought him back this season.
His physicality showed up right away in one of his first practices back with the Black and Gold. Roberts put a good hit on running back Travis Homer and later jawed with guard Mason McCormick, creating a tense environment.
Elandon Roberts with a hard thud on RB Travis Homer on check down catch. Welcome back, E-Rob. #Steelers
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 16, 2026
The tense environment Roberts helped create ultimately led to a fight Sunday.
Now, he’ll have a chance to perform in the preseason on Friday against the New York Jets. Harrison has a warning for the Jets.
“Listen, man, don’t be playing no games, whoever your running back is. I promise you my man is out here and he’s gonna be playing this game as if it’s the Super Bowl,” Harrison said of Roberts. “He plays every game like it’s the Super Bowl.”
Roberts brings an edge and will set the tone. His presence will show up on Friday night, assuming McCarthy, Graham, and the Steelers let him dress.