The Pittsburgh Steelers waived rookie offensive lineman Wesley Johnson Saturday afternoon in order to make room for safety Ross Ventrone. Johnson, however, didn’t clear waivers as the New York Jets have claimed him.
The Steelers drafted Johnson in the fifth round back in May and they mostly played him at center during the preseason. The Steelers obviously would’ve liked to get Johnson either back to their 53 man roster or practice squad, but that risk ended up backfiring. Ventrone had been promoted due to safety Shamarko Thomas being sidelined this week with a hamstring injury.
The Jets had the need for another offensive lineman after losing Brian Winters this weekend to torn ACL.
The loss of Johnson now means the Steelers only have five of their nine draft picks on their 53 man roster. One of their draft picks, linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, was placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the season while two of their other late draft picks, cornerback Shaquille Richardson and tight end Rob Blanchflower, are currently on the practice squad.
