The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting the band back together in the middle of their defense. Linebacker Elandon Roberts has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh, according to ESPN, with his agent Drew Rosenhaus announcing the agreement Wednesday.
Roberts spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Pittsburgh before leaving for the Las Vegas Raiders last spring. Now he’s headed back to Acrisure Stadium at age 32, and this time he’s bringing a familiar coach with him.
Why the Fit Makes Sense
Roberts isn’t walking into a brand-new system. Patrick Graham, who ran the Raiders’ defense in 2025, took over as Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator this offseason. Roberts played for Graham last year in Las Vegas, so there’s no learning curve here — just a linebacker slotting back into a scheme he already knows, under a coach who already trusts him.
That connection reportedly helped push this reunion along. According to Behind the Steel Curtain, Roberts started all but one game for Las Vegas in 2025 while working directly under Graham. Terms of the new contract haven’t been made public. Steelers Depot reports the deal is expected to come cheap, though nothing is confirmed on the financial details yet.
It’s not just the coaches who wanted him back. Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz publicly lobbied for a reunion back in February, telling his podcast Roberts was “one of the best teammates I’ve had in my career” and joking that if he ever needed backup in a fight, “I’m calling E-Rob.” Kuntz got his wish.
What Roberts Brings to the Middle
Roberts doesn’t sneak up on anybody. He’s a downhill, physical run-stopper — the kind of linebacker who fills gaps and finishes tackles rather than making highlight-reel plays in space. That style traveled well to Las Vegas. He played all 17 games for the Raiders in 2025, started 16 of them, and worked 58 percent of the defensive snaps, per CBS Sports.
His numbers backed up the tape. Roberts finished with 90 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery. He also had the best single game of his ten-year career last October, logging 18 tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs on 92.6 percent of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps.
Pittsburgh already knows what a healthy, featured version of Roberts looks like. In his first year with the Steelers back in 2023, he led the team with 101 tackles, added 2.5 sacks and two passes defended. His role shrank in 2024 as Payton Wilson emerged as a rookie, and his production dipped to 46 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble on a reduced 44 percent snap share. Across his two Pittsburgh seasons combined, Roberts totaled 147 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks over 33 games (29 starts), according to Behind the Steel Curtain.
Where He Fits on the Depth Chart
Roberts returns to a linebacker room that already has answers at the top. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson currently project as Pittsburgh’s starting duo at inside linebacker, and neither job is up for grabs. What Roberts adds is exactly what he’s provided everywhere he’s played: proven depth, veteran leadership, and a player Mike Tomlin has previously called a “tooth-chipper” for how physically he plays the position.
| Season | Team | Games (Starts) | Tackles | TFL | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Steelers | 16 (15) | 101 | 10 | 2.5 |
| 2024 | Steelers | 17 (14) | 46 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | Raiders | 17 (16) | 90 | 6 | 0 |
For his career, Roberts has recorded 694 tackles, 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles across 157 games and 121 starts, dating back to when the Patriots drafted him in the sixth round in 2016. He won two Super Bowls in New England before stops in Miami, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas.
What It Means Going Forward
This isn’t a splashy move, and it’s not supposed to be. Linebacker depth wins games in December and January, when the AFC North turns into a rock fight and starters start missing practice time. Adding a player who already knows Graham’s defense, already knows the locker room, and has never missed significant time due to injury gives Pittsburgh insurance without disrupting the pecking order at the position.
If Queen or Wilson goes down, or simply needs a breather in a physical divisional stretch, the Steelers now have a linebacker who can step in and not change what the defense is trying to do. That continuity is the whole point of the reunion.
