The Pittsburgh Steelers made one transaction on Monday and included a player being waived from the Reserve/Injured list.
According to the NFL transaction sheet from Monday, the Steelers waived defensive back Bryce Watts from the team’s Reserve/Injured list with an injury settlement. The amount of the settlement is not yet known.
Watts was one of the 10 original rookie undrafted free agents that the Steelers signed this year. He was given a $10,000 signing bonus as part of his three-year deal that he signed.
A Massachusetts product, Watts apparently suffered an undisclosed injury during the Steelers rookie minicamp that took place over a week ago. The team waived him as injured initially and then reverted to the Reserve/Injured list after he cleared waivers.
Watts played all 12 games for a UMass team that struggled mightily in 2021. A transfer who previously played at Virginia Tech and North Carolina, Watts made 43 tackles, broke up four passes, and was responsible for half of the Minutemen’s interceptions, with one. While Watts had an extra year of eligibility, he declared early for the draft to get one step closer to his dream and due to the fact that he’s already 24 years old. Watts never played at North Carolina after transferring from Virginia Tech, but at Tech he had 29 tackles, seven pass deflections, and an interception during his first two seasons in Blacksburg.
We should find out the amount of Watts’ injury settlement in the next few weeks and what the length of it includes. The Steelers will have a $10,000 dead money charge in 2022 with Watts being waived prior to June 1.
With Watts now waived injured, defensive back Isaiah Johnson is now the only player on the team’s Reserve/Injured list as the team prepares for the start of their annual OTA practices.
The Steelers seemingly signed rookie defensive back Carlins Platel to the roster last Monday to take Watts’ place. Platel, a South Carolina product, was one of several players that took part in the Steelers recent rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
