New England Patriots inside linebacker Robert Spillane in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 21, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Robert Spillane is officially questionable to play for the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, the Patriots announced on Friday.
Spillane, who suffered an ankle injury in the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, did not practice on Wednesday and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday this week as the Patriots gathered in Palo Alto, California on Stanford’s campus.
Despite that designation, Spillane said on Wednesday that he is “100 percent confident” that he’ll be able to suit up on Sunday evening. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said only “we’ll just see how it goes.”
Spillane started 13 regular-season games and three playoffs game for the Patriots this season, his first year of a three-year, $33 million contract signed this March that reunited him with Vrabel, his first head coach with the Tennessee Titans.
He also missed the final four games of the Patriots’ regular season with a foot/ankle injury. Anfernee Jennings started three of those four games as his replacement and would likely replace Spillane, should he miss the Super Bowl.
Spillane is one of three players that are questionable for the Patriots, along with defensive lineman Joshua Farmer (hamstring) and outside linebacker Harold Landry (knee).
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Robert Spillane on Dec. 11, 2022. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Spillane spent one seasons with Vrabel’s Titans in 2018 before joining the Steelers in 2019. He got started as primarily a special teamer in his first season in Pittsburgh. In 2020, after Devin Bush tore his ACL, Spillane started seven games, and he remained a regular part of the Pittsburgh rotation after that until 2023, when he departed for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
Spillane started all 34 games over two season for the Raiders in 2023 and 2024.
He is one of two former Steelers on the Patriots, along with backup quarterback Josh Dobbs. Former Steelers wide receiver Cody White is on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad.
Mentioned In This Article: New England Patriots Pittsburgh Steelers Robert Spillane Steelers Super Bowl LX