Raiders linebacker wants revenge on Pittsburgh Steelers for letting him walk in free agency

Former Pittsburgh Steelers and now Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane knows all about what it means to play the Steelers. For the second straight year, he will face his former team in Las Vegas, and while 2023 did not give him the revenge he wanted, 2024 is another opportunity for Spillane.

The 28-year-old Spillane played for the Steelers from 2019 to 2022, going from a special teamer on the roster fringe to a legitimate starter. He earned a two-year, $7 million contract in the 2023 offseason and has become a stalwart for the Raiders in the middle of their defense. He has set himself up for another nice payday this spring.

However, Spillane would like to get some revenge on his former team. The Steelers did have a chance to bring him back in free agency and opted to let him walk instead, something that Spillane does not take kindly to even over a year later.

“Leaving them has only [added] to the chip on my shoulder…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,” Spillane said on Thursday.

Spillane leads the NFL in tackles for loss among linebackers. He has 25 run stops, and is a massive reason why the Raiders are ranked as the top run defense by run success rate allowed. Even in more traditional metrics, such as yards per carry, they still rank top five in the NFL in run defense.

Spillane will welcome back his running mate in Divine Deable next to him, too. Deablo missed time with an oblique injury, and should add some needed speed to the second-level along with Spillane, who can be the downhill hammer.

• BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. How does this year class of rookie quarterbacks stack up in the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds? We look at the NFL rookie QB power rankings.