Before roaming the middle of the Las Vegas Raiders' defense, linebacker Robert Spillane spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Spillane started in 16 of the 50 games he played for the Steelers. When it was time for him to hit free agency in 2023, the Steelers decided not to bring him back, which led to Spillane landing in Vegas on a two-year deal.
On Thursday, Spillane, who was originally an undrafted free-agent signing of the Tennessee Titans in 2018, admitted the Steelers letting him go has added to the chip on his shoulder and he's looking forward to getting the better of his former team.
"Leaving them has only [added] to the chip on my shoulder," Spillane said, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "They had a chance to bring me back in free agency but I'm here now and I'm so thankful to be a Raider and I look forward to bringing it to them on Sunday."
Over his season-plus with the Raiders, Spillane has been a starter and a leader on the defense. He tallied career-highs in sacks (3.5), tackles (148) and tackles for loss (seven) last season while playing in all 17 games.
In 2024, Spillane is on track for another strong campaign. Per Pro Football Focus, he ranks fifth in run defense grade (84.7), first in stops (25) and first in tackles for loss (eight) among linebackers.
Meanwhile, the Steelers dipped into the free-agent market for linebacker help during the offseason, signing Patrick Queen to a lucrative deal. So far, that hasn't worked out for Pittsburgh, with Queen off to a disappointing start.
Spillane will once again hit free agency in 2025, and if he can keep playing at the level he has thus far, he should land himself a solid payday, whether that be from the Raiders or another team.
