Matthew Thomas should be the Pittsburgh Steelers starting ILB

Lets be real, Matthew Thomas is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ strongest inside linebacker outside of Vince Williams.

Not everyday you hear of an undrafted rookie making a case for the starting job. This entire offseason, that wasn’t the case in Pittsburgh. They have an emerging veteran and an offseason signing competing for the role of starting inside linebacker.

Now, that’s changed.

Outside of Vince Williams, no veteran has proven anything at inside linebacker, other than they shouldn’t be on the team. Tyler Matakevich received all the hype in the world before Week 1 of the preseason. Today, he’s on the verge of missing the team’s 53-man roster.

Jon Bostic came in as the answer to the Ryan Shazier void. He gave the team some space to work with in drafting an inside linebacker, and it appeared they had enough faith in him to pass on drafting the position overall.

It took him all summer to earn the starting job over Matakevich, and when the preseason started he showed why. He’s as inconsistent as they come in tackling and his lack of knowledge on the defense is clear. Time and time again he’s working the wrong assignment and leaving gaps on the field.

The preseason isn’t over, though, and there is some hope. Matthew Thomas, the undrafred rookie out of Florida State, was once considered one of the most highly talented high school athletes in the country. That doesn’t mean much.

He fell off in college and eventually got into some trouble that forced NFL teams to pass on him in the draft. Someone was going to call his number after the draft ended, and it didn’t take long before Pittsburgh did.

Now, he’s gaining more and more traction on the inside linebacker competition. Fans love his athleticism and playmaking ability. What they love more is that he’s less of a risk than the two veterans they have starting.

No remembering how he came to Pittsburgh, there would be little discussion of putting him with the first-team. Outside of being an undrafted rookie, Thomas has earned his place as the starter and should get a chance to make a name for himself.

People don’t want to see Bostic or Matakevich continue to disappoint. They shouldn’t be looking at more opportunities this offseason, but instead begin fighting from behind.

Thomas needs to get his shot. If he doesn’t play like many believe he will, remove him. But if he does, it’ll feel a lot better having him in the starting lineup than two players who are a bigger risk than their veteran status claims.