On July 29, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report made the case that the Pittsburgh Steelers lacked sufficient depth at inside linebacker. Ballentine suggested that the Steelers acquire linebacker Christian Kirksey of the Houston Texans in order to bolster the position.
Omar Khan, general manager of the Steelers, seemed to concur that the team required an additional linebacker to fill the middle of their defense. However, he opted to sign a free agent in its place.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac tweeted late on July 29 that the Steelers signed inside linebacker Kwon Alexander to a one-year contract.
Free agent signings often deliver a message to their fans via social media after joining a new team. Alexander arguably had a message for Steelers fans just before officially signing with the team.
Khan agreeing to a contract with the Pro Bowl linebacker doesn’t come as a complete shock. The Steelers expressed interest in Alexander, who turns 29 on August 3, as early as May. He visited the Steelers on May 15.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Alexander in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played four seasons with the Buccaneers. In 2016, he led the league with 108 solo tackles. Then in 2017, Alexander made his first Pro Bowl.
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