There was once a time in which the inside linebacker position was one of the proudest traditions on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster. Ever since the shocking, career-ending injury that took Ryan Shazier off the field, however, they have been riding the carousel at the position. Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts are the latest to jump on; already we must ask how long they will last.
Maybe it’s a sign of my getting a bit older, but it doesn’t feel so long ago that the Steelers boasted James Farrior, Larry Foote, and Lawrence Timmons at the position. Shazier very much had the potential to be better than all of them—he was certainly the most athletic, and arguably the most instinctive.