Steelers' Omar Khan Responds To Criticism After Controversial Roster Decision

The Pittsburgh Steelers are just about ready to begin preparations for their Week 1 contest, as real football is just about back. There are still some depth moves that need to be made at a few different spots, but overall, there is a lot to be excited about. Pittsburgh has added quite a few pieces to the practice squad already to help out with that, and there will be more to come. Obviously, none of this is final, as moves will end up being made to further strengthen the team over the next couple of weeks. 

Ever since Sunday's roster cutdown, the Steelers have been under fire for a very questionable decision. Despite having a great preseason, Pittsburgh officially released veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts. It is true that he is aging and likely doesn't have the same sideline-to-sideline movement he once did, but he proved that he was still an excellent linebacker and can blow up the gaps on the offensive line.

In a press conference on Monday, General Manager Omar Khan was asked about that decision, but he deflected the question to the relationship between team and player, as transcribed by Brooke Pryor. 

"Not closing the door on that by any means," Khan said. "I have a lot of respect for E-Rob. We have some history with him, and he's done a good job and love the player and love the person, certainly not closing the door."

Many argue that the door should never have been opened for Roberts to leave in the first place. He even confirmed that the Steelers have not offered him a spot on the practice squad either, which is very shocking. Players and fans alike questioned why Pittsburgh never re-signed him after the 2024 season, and now they are likely asking a very similar question now.

Roberts playing in Pittsburgh seemed to make the most sense. Not only does he know the team well from his previous stint, but he also worked with new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in 2025 while he was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. Those two helped take a defense that was somewhat low on talent and make it play much better than expected throughout the season. 

Khan saying that the door is still open most likely means one thing: if an injury pops up at the middle linebacker position, the Steelers' first call will be to Roberts to come in and help fill that player's shoes if he has not signed elsewhere yet. The 53-man roster only has four inside linebackers on it, which is unusual for Pittsburgh. Even with Jacoby Windmon on the practice squad, most people would agree that Roberts is the better fit.

Steelers Don't Need Roberts As Bad As They Used To

While Roberts does provide great run defense, the Steelers seem to have finally fixed that issue. They went from having very few players who can consistently make stops between the tackles to having waves upon waves of guys in the front seven that fill in the gaps and make life hard on the opposing running back. This is a big key to the defense finally stepping up and playing up to potential.

2025 fifth-round pick Yahya Black is stepping into the starting nose tackle role to relieve Keeanu Benton, who was clearly out of place at that spot. Benton is now the primary depth piece on all three spots at defensive line. Meanwhile, free agent acquisition Sebastian Joseph-Day was also brought in for depth all over the line, especially to help the run defense. 

Sixth-round rookie Gabriel Rubio and undrafted free agent Kevin Jobity Jr. broke out in training camp and preseason, primarily for their ability to plug up the gaps. While they still have a lot of work to do to move up the depth chart, it's easy to tell that the talent is there. The whole defensive line room now has the ability to shut down the run, making life easier on the linebackers.

What do you think about Khan leaving the door open for Roberts? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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