The Pittsburgh Steelers, like the other 31 organizations around the NFL, had to trim their roster down to just 53 players on Tuesday. This is always hard for the coaching staff and executives, but they do have the option to bring certain players back to the organization once they clear waivers. The Steelers have begun this process as they formulate their practice squad for the 2024 season, which is an important and underrated part of an NFL team.
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Head Coach Mike Tomlin yells in the direction of one of his players during warmups prior to a 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Practice squad players don't get a lot of shine, but they can be important. They help the starting units prepare for certain opponents, and are sometimes even pulled up to the active roster as injuries occur. Pittsburgh announced the signing of eight players to their practice squad on Thursday. ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported seven of the eight signed players.
Steelers add eight to the practice squad:
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 29, 2024
DBs Anthony Averett, Zyon Gilbert, Thomas Graham
DL Jacob Slade
FB Jack Colletto
RB Jonathan Ward
TE Rodney Williams
The eighth player signed by Pittsburgh was outside linebacker Marcus Haynes. All eight players signed were with the Steelers during training camp, but didn't perform well enough to make the final roster.
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Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Jack Colletto (45) running drills in 2024 training camp.
Pittsburgh has also agreed to bring three other players to the practice squad. These players include running back Boston Scott, wide receiver Brandon Johnson, and guard/tackle Doug Nester. The most intriguing name out of this group is Johnson, who was with Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos and caught five touchdowns from the quarterback over the last two seasons.
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John Rhys Plumlee during training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA in 2024.
This fills up 11 of the 16 available spots on the practice squad for the Steelers. Many fans are waiting to see if fan-favorite John Rhys Plumlee is brought back into the fold, as he is an interesting player with a ton of versatility. During camp, he was placed at quarterback, wide receiver, and kick returner.
What do you think of the practice squad additions? Let us know in the comments below!
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