Four former Pittsburgh Steelers will be represented in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was a 1997 third-round pick by the Steelers. Linebacker Robert Spillane and backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs also spent time with the Black and Gold.
Wide receiver Cody White is the only former Steeler on the Seattle Seahawks , and he won't be active for the game. White was placed injured reserve on Dec. 30, following a groin injury sustained in Seattle's Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers . Because he missed only three games, he won't be eligible to return for the Super Bowl.
White made the Seahawks' 53-man roster out of training camp for the first time in his NFL career. In 10 games this season, White caught three passes for 90 yards and one touchdown. White is the son of Sheldon White, the Steelers' current director of pro scouting.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cody White (15) participates in the Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Thursday June 10, 2021 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Spillane joined the Steelers in 2019 and improved his production every year until he became a free agent following the 2022 season. He eventually signed a two-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders ,
From 2019-22, Spillane racked up 191 tackles, three sacks, one fumble recovery, eight passes defensed, one interception and one touchdown.
Spillane earned himself another payday with the Patriots this past offseason, signing a three-year, $33 million contract. In his first season in New England , Spillane has recorded 97 tackles (48 solos), four tackles for loss, five passes defended, one forced fumble and two interceptions.
Robert Spillane (41) lines up as the Steelers played against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. (Mitchell Northam / Steelers Now)
Dobbs was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Dobbs has been quite the journeyman as of late, but he spent the first three years of his NFL career as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger 's backup in Pittsburgh. During that span, he appeared in five games and threw for just 43 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
He was then traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 before making his return to Pittsburgh for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
However, Dobbs didn't make his first career start until the 2022 season with the Tennessee Titans in relief of injured starter Ryan Tannehill . In two games, he threw for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
During his time in Minnesota in 2023, Dobbs replaced injured starter Kirk Cousins and played in five more games, maintaining a 62.9% completion percentage, 5.9 yards per attempt and a 76.4 passer rating.
Dobbs then joined the San Francisco 49ers for the 2024 season and the New England Patriots for the 2025 season.
A native of Alpharetta, Georgia, Dobbs has thrown for 3,281 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his professional career.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Josh Dobbs against the Cleveland Browns, Nov. 28, 2021 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
An Akron, Ohio native, the Steelers drafted Vrabel in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played 51 games for the team, recording 56 tackles, four tackles for loss and seven sacks. Vrabel signed with the Patriots in 2001 after spending his first four seasons with the Steelers and won three Super Bowls in New England.
When Vrabel was set to hit free agency, Bill Cowher, as the head coach, told him they would offer him a contract, but he might be able to get more money and playing time elsewhere. That opportunity would come with the Patriots, where he would carve out a productive career with the team.
"I'll never forget, Mike Vrabel came in after four years, and I said, 'Mike, listen, we're going to offer you a contract,' but he goes, 'Well, [if] I can get a lot more. I go.' 'You're probably gonna get a lot more somewhere else,' I said. 'I'Il play you, but you're probably the third outside linebacker on our team right now.' He went to New England and had a great career," Cowher said on the Steam Room podcast .
Vrabel is now making his mark as the head coach of the Patriots. After back-to-back 4-13 seasons, Vrabel led New England to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team. Vrabel could become the first in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as player and coach for the same team.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 21, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Super Bowl LX Will Feature Four Former Steelers
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