Ex-Steelers DL Chris Hoke Is Anxious To Watch The Upcoming Reunion Against Former Pittsburgh LB: "It Will Be Fun For Him"

The Pittsburgh Steelers, like every NFL team, have to make difficult decisions about which players to keep and which to let go. That was the case with linebacker Robert Spillane, who left Pittsburgh for the Las Vegas Raiders when they signed him to a two-year contract worth more than $9 million in 2023. While Spillane performed well at times in Pittsburgh, he has flourished in Vegas. 

Spillane was an undrafted rookie free agent in 2018 when he was signed by the Tennessee Titans. He spent a single season there before coming to the Steel City in 2019. Spillane played quite a bit in Pittsburgh, but only started 16 games, and those were for injuries. It was par for the course at the time since the Steelers have had a weak inside linebacker room, which included Devin Bush and Myles Jack.

According to former Steelers defensive lineman, Chris Hoke, who recently spoke with Joe Starkey on 93.7 The Fan, Spillane has revitalized his career with the Raiders. During his time in Vegas, he has started 22 games and had four interceptions, 202 tackles, and 4.5 sacks. He spent more than twice the amount of time in Pittsburgh and has already eclipsed those stats. He had only one interception, 191 tackles, and three sacks in his four years with the Steelers. 

The Steelers will face their former player and a historical nemesis in the Raiders during Week 6. The Raiders were there when Pittsburgh started its ascent to greatness when they won with the Immaculate Reception in the 1972 season. Hoke said that Spillane has become the backbone of this Raiders team.   

"You know what's interesting is Spillane. Spillane's like their leader. He's a throwback. Remember when he was here, he's tough, he's physical. He moved on, and now the Raiders love him. That's really fun to watch, when I go back and watch the film of the Raiders. He's got double-digit tackles every game of the season. He's really the inspirational leader and the physical leader of that team. It will be fun for him to go against the Steelers, his old team, so he's a guy that you really got to watch and make sure he doesn't take over a game. He's physical, tough, plays downhill, is old school, hits ya."

None of this is to say that Spillane was a bust in Pittsburgh; he just wasn't the most impactful player. He did have some memorable moments in black and gold. Those included an interception of Lamar Jackson in 2020, which he returned for a touchdown, helping the Steelers win that game. During the quarterback's rookie season, he also had a sack on Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow. Spillane was also credited with a massive hit on Derrick Henry from the Titans.  

Spillane and the Raiders had a shot at Pittsburgh during the 2023 season. He had only seven total tackles against a challenged Steelers offensive line. Pittsburgh pulled off a 23-18 win. He will get another shot for revenge on Sunday afternoon. 

Steelers' New Inside Linebacker Has People Confused

The Steelers have struggled to find competent help at the inside linebacker position. They drafted Bush and hoped he would be the answer. However, he suffered an injury and mentally seemed to never recover from it. They later added Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, who suffered season-ending injuries. 

They decided to try again in 2024, making their largest free agent signing in team history with Patrick Queen. However, Queen has not been as much of a playmaker as expected. He hasn't been horrible, but his lack of big plays has been a head-scratcher. He has consistently made tackles and applied pressure, but has lacked the splash factor fans hoped for. 

The reason why Queen isn't excelling hasn't been clear. Some believe that Queen hasn't built up the endurance he needs to play most of the snaps and be the green dot leader for the defense. With the outside linebacker room seriously depleted, guys like Queen need to seriously bring their A-game to help the defense get the big stops it needs. 

Are you surprised by how well Spillane has done in Vegas? Click to comment below. 

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