Tyler Murray had a pretty good reason to punch out early during his recent work shift. Murray, an undrafted rookie linebacker who recently spent time on the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad, was working a shift at Amazon on Tuesday when the Pittsburgh Steelers came calling.
Well, it was actually Murray's agent who called to inform him the Steelers were looking for him to help replenish a depleted inside linebacker corps.
"I was working at Amazon … and my agent called me and said, 'We've got a workout for you with the Steelers,'" Murray said Wednesday morning, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "And I'm like, 'Aw man,' so I had to tell my boss, 'Hey I am going to have to leave work early today.'
"And they were cool with it. So, next thing you know I was getting a flight up here around 7, so I made it and now they just decided to sign me, so I wanted to say it's just a blessing. I am so happy to be here."
Murray's road to Pittsburgh was a winding one. Initially recruited to play cornerback, Murray started his college career at Troy before transferring to Charlotte (where he was briefly teammates with Steelers starting outside linebacker Alex Highsmith) before finishing up at Memphis last fall.
His versatility is probably one of the things that compelled the Steelers to sign Murray. He checks in at 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds and played safety at Troy, where he recorded three picks during his second and final season with the team. During his first season at linebacker (at Charlotte in 2020), Murray filled the stat sheet with two interceptions, a fumble recovery and forced fumble, and 48 tackles in just six games.
Murray finished his college career with two solid seasons while playing linebacker. Last fall, he tallied 67 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defensed and six tackles for loss.
While he wasn't much of a pass rusher in college (Murray's 1.5 sacks in college were all during the 2021 season), Pittsburgh is set there with Highsmith, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and others. As stated above, Murray's appeal to the Steelers was probably due to his past history in pass coverage.
"I am probably a quick linebacker since I transferred from DB to inside the box," Murray said, "so I can say I am a ballhawk and my stats in college were very good. I just am noticeable in that so I can just say I am versatile as a linebacker now and I can read a lot of stuff."
He didn't make the Bengals' 53-man roster, but the fact that Murray made it to final cuts says something about his ability. So, too, does the fact the Steelers signed him shortly after he touched down in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers will need Murray to make an impact. Pittsburgh lost starting inside backers Cole Holcomb (knee) and Kwon Alexander (Achilles) in each of its last two games. Holcomb is a high-motor player who was having success during his first season in Pittsburgh. Alexander, who was also in the middle of his first year with the Steelers, recorded the game-winning interception in Pittsburgh's Week 9 win over the Titans.
Mark Robinson and Elandon Roberts will replace Holcomb and Alexander in the starting lineup. A 2022 seventh-round pick, Robinson has 17 career tackles that included three during this past Sunday's win over the Packers. An eight-year veteran who was also part of the Steelers' free agent class, has recorded 56 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one pass defense and six tackles for loss in nine games.
Roberts wore the green dot when Alexander left this past Sunday's game, and it's expected that he'll do so again this Sunday in Cleveland against the Browns.
"He's a defensive quarterback in mentality and a really good communicator, a really good above-the-neck player," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Roberts during his Tuesday press conference, via the Steelers' website. "He does a really good job in those areas. We hadn't been playing him, in some situations or possession-down moments, but we might expand his role in some of those areas for benefit of communication and fluidity in that area. But those are things that we get an opportunity to ponder over the course of a preparation week."
