The Pittsburgh Steelers brought linebacker Elandon Roberts back because they already understood the physicality, leadership and experience he could add to their defense. It apparently took only one practice for Roberts to remind everyone exactly what had returned to Pittsburgh.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts has been the quarterback of the defense whenever healthy.
Roberts spent the 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders before rejoining the Steelers on a one-year contract. His familiarity with new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who coached him in Las Vegas, made the reunion logical. His first practice back showed why the move could become considerably more important than its price suggests.
Long snapper Christian Kuntz revealed how Roberts immediately changed the intensity of practice during a recent episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast. Pittsburgh had been practicing with "thud" contact instead of tackling players to the ground, but Roberts brought his familiar physical style anyway.
"I've got to tell this story about E-Rob right out of the gate," Kuntz said. "I love that guy. He's literally the f***ing best. The way practice is set up, we have been thudding. It's different than Mike Tomlin because, in Tomlin's era, he wanted tackling to the ground. We're thudding at practice, which is not tackling to the ground."
That change represents one of the clearest differences between former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Mike McCarthy. Pittsburgh was one of the NFL's rare teams that still featured periods of live tackling during training camp under Tomlin. McCarthy removed that element while attempting to protect players and keep the roster healthier.
Roberts apparently did not need live tackling periods to make his presence felt. The veteran arrived with fresh legs, delivered several forceful hits and helped raise the temperature of the entire practice.
"E-Rob's first practice back, he's got fresh legs, and man, he laid out three guys," Kuntz said. "That's just E-Rob being E-Rob. I'm not sure if he meant to really f*** a guy up like that, but if he hits you, you're going to feel it."
Kuntz explained that fights eventually broke out as the practice became increasingly physical. Roberts did not appear surprised or concerned by the response. He was smiling because the environment finally felt familiar again.
"He does that, some fights break out, it gets physical, and E-Rob is just smiling ear to ear like, 'I'm back,'" Kuntz said. "He was like, 'We needed that. Relax. We needed that.'"
Steelers Could Have Found Their Defensive Tone-Setter
That reaction perfectly captures what Roberts brings to Pittsburgh. He does not need to dominate the stat sheet or play every defensive snap to influence the identity of Graham's unit. The Steelers already possess talented linebackers in Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson and Cole Holcomb. Roberts provides something different. He is a proven downhill defender who welcomes contact, understands Graham's system and brings credibility into the locker room.
Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Elandon Roberts reacts after a defensive stop at Acrisure Stadium in 2024.
His familiarity with Graham should allow him to contribute without requiring an extensive adjustment period. Roberts started 16 games for the Raiders in 2025 and recorded 90 tackles, six tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed. He arrives prepared to communicate the system while reinforcing its physical expectations.
That veteran leadership becomes particularly valuable for a defense attempting to establish a new identity under a different coaching staff. Pittsburgh has enough speed and talent to become one of the NFL's better units. Roberts can help supply the nastiness required to make opponents fear it. There is always a line that must be respected during practice. Roberts cannot afford to injure teammates or create unnecessary problems by treating every rep like a regular-season collision. His teammates must still reach Week 1 healthy.
However, Kuntz's story makes it clear that Roberts understood what the defense needed at that moment. He raised the intensity, absorbed the reaction and reminded everyone that physical football remains part of Pittsburgh's identity despite the coaching change. For the cost of a one-year contract, Roberts could quietly become one of the Steelers' most valuable offseason additions.
His presence alone will not transform the defense into a historic group, but his toughness, experience and knowledge of Graham's system could help move it from talented to feared. Roberts returned to Pittsburgh smiling and essentially declaring that he was back. If the rest of the defense embraces the standard he immediately established, the NFL could receive the same message soon enough.
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