ILB Mark Robinson prepared to step in as Steelers try to replace Cole Holcomb

Mike Tomlin likes to say, “One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.”

But while that may be the case for Mark Robinson, the misfortune suffered by his teammate is occupying more of Robinson’s empathy than is his eagerness for an opportunity.

The season-ending knee injury suffered by starting inside linebacker Cole Holcomb is expected to result in additional playing time for Robinson on the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

“I try not to look at that way,” Robinson said Monday from UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I just have to focus on what I’ve got going on on my own. Of course I feel for (Holcomb), a freak of nature accident. But I’m not making any assumptions in (getting more playing time). I’m just trying to stay ready as if my time is to come, just like any other time.”

Steelers ILB Mark Robinson on the significant knee injury suffered by position mate Cole Holcomb and what he’s learning from the veterans in his position room pic.twitter.com/s05NM7Vwz9

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 6, 2023

An intriguing seventh-round pick last year, Robinson by the end of his rookie season was a starter. But after the Steelers signed a trio of veteran inside linebackers in free agency over the spring and summer, Robinson has been relegated to a special-teams role in 2023.

Robinson’s only defensive snaps of the season (four) came during the Week 3 win at the Las Vegas Raiders. Notably, Robinson made the tackle on two of those four plays.

But that’s been it for Robinson on defense. The Steelers had stuck with an ILB rotation of Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander. But with Holcomb no longer an option, Robinson would appear to ascend to the No. 3 spot in the ILB corps.

Right?

“We don’t get ahead of ourselves,” Robinson said, noting it is still early in the week of preparation of Sunday’s home game against the Green Bay Packers. “If it’s my time, it’ll be my time. If not, I just have to keep doing what I’m doing now and that’s preparing myself.”

When it comes to pre-game introductions, the #Steelers like to take an inclusive mentality. https://t.co/Z26E8oOn9w

— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) November 5, 2023

Robinson was a small-school running back before spending his graduate transfer season at Ole Miss, which moved him to defense and watched him develop into one of the SEC’s top tacklers by the end of that 2021 season.

Late last year, the Steelers were open about using Robinson against run-heavy teams. But gone from 2022 are the rest of Robinson’s position mates (Devin Bush, Myles Jack, Robert Spillane), and questions about Robinson’s aptitude in coverage persist.

“People are gonna say what they want to say,” Robinson said. “I am here for a reason. That’s how I like to look at it.

“I just am going to go out there and take advantage of my opportunity, and then one day the more opportunities you get, the more you put on film.”

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