PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to find a way moving forward without Kwon Alexander.
The veteran inside linebacker’s season will likely be over for what coach Mike Tomlin calls a season. “Severe” He injured his left foot in the first quarter of the 23-19 win over Green Bay.
Alexander signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in July and was active in Pittsburgh, but collapsed during an interview. He was able to walk off the field on his own, but was immediately taken to the locker room for testing and removed.
Tomlin said Alexander is being evaluated, but added that it is being evaluated. “no promises.”
The nine-year veteran meshed right away with Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, with the three essentially becoming interchangeable while splitting snaps relatively evenly.
Holcomb suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against Tennessee. Alexander will join Holcomb on injured reserve, meaning two of Pittsburgh’s top five tacklers entering Sunday are done for the year. Alexander’s 41 tackles ranked fifth on the team, followed by Roberts third (48) and Holcomb second (54).
Now, Pittsburgh (6-3) will have to start with Roberts as the only experienced inside linebacker on the roster. Second-year Mark Robinson had three tackles against the Packers and expanded his role in Alexander’s absence, but Roberts will play the green dot relaying play calls from defensive coordinator Terrill Austin. It will be worn inside the helmet.
Roberts has worn the dots during stops in New England and Miami during his career. Now, he finds himself as a senior in a position that has essentially been a revolving door for the Steelers since Ryan Shazer suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury near the end of the 2017 season. Noticed.
The list of players acquired over the past five years includes Mark Barron, Jon Bostic, Myles Jack and Devin Bush. None are stuck. The Steelers hit the reset button in the offseason, signing Holcomb to a three-year deal and Roberts to a two-year deal, acquiring the charismatic and physical Alexander after a solid 2022 with the New York Jets.
Currently, only Roberts remains healthy.
“He’s a quality veteran player.” Tomlin said of Roberts: “He’s a good communicator. He takes the run game personally. That’s why we acquired him in free agency and he’s consistently provided that.”
Inside linebacker isn’t the only position the Steelers are struggling with. All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury, and Keanu Neal went down with a rib injury late in the game after scoring on Green Bay’s Jordan Love.
As a result, the Packers’ go-ahead touchdown attempt failed, and practice squad player Trenton Thompson made his second NFL appearance in the final minutes.
“We had leaks in a lot of places today, but next time.” said veteran defensive back Patrick Peterson, who stopped the extra point and tipped a pass that Neal intercepted in the end zone. “The coaches believe in the players who have a chance to (perform) in the game. We have to trust each other to go in there and (play football).”
There is optimism that Fitzpatrick will be back soon. And Neil’s injury may not be that serious.
The same cannot be said for Alexander, and the 29-year-old may face a lengthy recovery similar to what he experienced earlier in his career. His 2018 season with San Francisco ended with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, in 2019 he tore his pectoralis major muscle after playing in eight games, and on Christmas Day 2020 he tore his Achilles tendon.
Pittsburgh’s schedule will get even more difficult in the coming weeks. The Steelers will visit AFC North rivals Cleveland (6-3) and Cincinnati (5-4) the next two Sundays. Then, they suddenly had to place inexperienced defensemen in key positions.
“We have a good division, it’s no secret.” Roberts said. “(The win over Green Bay) was huge for us, but we’ve got to go in and watch this film and get ready for the big game this week.”