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Steelers Now's Alan Saunders floated the possibility of the Pittsburgh Steelers cutting Malik Harrison to bring back Elandon Roberts.
Suggesting Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Malik Harrison as a cut candidate this offseason is nothing new. Pundits have argued that possibility throughout this spring. But recently, Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders floated an intriguing scenario for the team at linebacker.
What if the Steelers released Harrison in order to bring back former Pittsburgh starting inside linebacker Elandon Roberts?
“If the Steelers want to save some money at the position, they could release Harrison and bring back Roberts, who filled the same role, and did so just as well, for much less money,” wrote Saunders. “Roberts played for Patrick Graham with the New England Patriots and again with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.”
Roberts started 29 games for the Steelers from 2023-24. In 2023, he posted 101 combined tackles, including 10 tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks and two pass defenses.
Last season, he played for Patrick Graham’s defense with the Las Vegas Raiders. Steelers new head coach Mike McCarthy hired Graham as Pittsburgh’s new defensive coordinator this offseason.
Under Graham, Roberts had 90 combined tackles, including six for loss in 17 games during 2025.
Cutting Harrison would save the Steelers $4.75 million in cap space. Harrison had 41 combined tackles in 11 games last season.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb