NFL TEAMS SET INITIAL ROSTERS
NFL teams established their initial 53-man rosters and practice squads just days ago. Teams will continue to add and subtract from their rosters but here is a snapshot just before week one of the 2022 regular season.
This time last season, I found 26 former Steelers on active rosters. Teams tucked away seven more on practice squads and placed three on reserve lists just before last season’s start. This does not count players who appeared on preseason 90-man rosters. Just 53-man rosters, practice squads and reserve lists after final cutdowns. About 36 former Steelers on other NFL team’s active, reserve or practice squads to start this season. That’s up from 30 in 2020.
This year, I found 33 former Steelers on other team’s current 53-man rosters. Twelve former Steelers show up on practice squads and one on injured reserve. An increase of ten former Steelers showing up with other teams from last year.
EX-STEELERS AROUND THE NFL
Here are the former Steelers appearing on active rosters, reserve lists and practice squads near the start of the 2022 season:
| TEAM | POSITION | NAME | LIST |
| AFC EAST | |||
| Buffalo Bills | MLB | Tyler Matakevich | 53-Man Roster |
| Miami Dolphins | OLB | Melvin Ingram | 53-Man Roster |
| Miami Dolphins | CB | Chris Steele | Practice Squad |
| New England Patriots | QB | Brian Hoyer | 53-Man Roster |
| New York Jets | WR | Diontae Spencer | Practice Squad |
| AFC NORTH | |||
| Baltimore Ravens | NONE | ||
| Cincinnati Bengals | CB | Mike Hilton | 53-Man Roster |
| Cincinnati Bengals | LB | Tegray Scales | Practice Squad |
| Cleveland Browns | T | Chris Hubbard | 53-Man Roster |
| Cleveland Browns | OL | Joe Haeg | 53-Man Roster |
| Cleveland Browns | QB | Josh Dobbs | 53-Man Roster |
| Cleveland Browns | TE | Jesse James | 53-Man Roster |
| AFC SOUTH | |||
| Houston Texans | CB | Steve Nelson | 53-Man Roster |
| Indianapolis Colts | NONE | ||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | NONE | ||
| Tennessee Titans | LB | Ola Adeniyi | 53-Man Roster |
| Tennessee Titans | LB | Bud Dupree | 53-Man Roster |
| Tennessee Titans | OLB | Derek Tuszka | 53-Man Roster |
| Tennessee Titans | TE | Kevin Rader | 53-Man Roster |
| Tennessee Titans | K | Randy Bullock | 53-Man Roster |
| AFC WEST | |||
| Denver Broncos | S | P.J. Locke | 53-Man Roster |
| Denver Broncos | P | Corliss Waitman | 53-Man Roster |
| Kansas City Chiefs | WR | JuJu Smith-Schuster | 53-Man Roster |
| Kansas City Chiefs | QB | Chris Oladokun | Practice Squad |
| Las Vegas Raiders | NONE | ||
| Los Angeles Chargers | G | Matt Feiler | 53-Man Roster |
| NFC EAST | |||
| Dallas Cowboys | CB | C.J. Goodwin | 53-Man Roster |
| Dallas Cowboys | WR | James Washington | Injured Reserve |
| New York Giants | DE | Nick Williams | 53-Man Roster |
| New York Giants | CB | Justin Layne | 53-Man Roster |
| New York Giants | DE | Henry Mondeaux | Practice Squad |
| New York Giants | OLB | Quincy Roche | Practice Squad |
| Philadelphia Eagles | DT | Javon Hargrave | 53-Man Roster |
| Philadelphia Eagles | WR | Deon Cain | Practice Squad |
| Washington Commanders | LB | Jon Bostic | 53-Man Roster |
| Washington Commanders | G | Trai Turner | 53-Man Roster |
| NFC NORTH | |||
| Chicago Bears | NONE | ||
| Detroit Lions | DT | Isaiah Buggs | 53-Man Roster |
| Green Bay Packers | NONE | ||
| Minnesota Vikings | NONE | ||
| NFC SOUTH | |||
| Atlanta Falcons | DE | Abdullah Anderson | Practice Squad |
| Carolina Panthers | NONE | ||
| New Orleans Saints | TE | Nick Vannett | 53-Man Roster |
| New Orleans Saints | DE | Taco Charlton | Practice Squad |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | G | Fred Johnson | 53-Man Roster |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | T | Brandon Walton | 53-Man Roster |
| NFC WEST | |||
| Arizona Cardinals | T | Kelvin Beachum | 53-Man Roster |
| Arizona Cardinals | RB | James Conner | 53-Man Roster |
| Arizona Cardinals | G | Danny Isidora | Practice Squad |
| Arizona Cardinals | T | Rashaad Coward | Practice Squad |
| Los Angeles Rams | NONE | ||
| San Francisco 49ers | WR | Ray-Ray McCloud | 53-Man Roster |
| San Francisco 49ers | LB | Buddy Johnson | Practice Squad |
| Seattle Seahawks | DT | Al Woods | 53-Man Roster |
| Seattle Seahawks | CB | Artie Burns | 53-Man Roster |
FORMER STEELERS OUT IN THE COLD
Here are 18 former Steelers that appeared on NFL rosters other than the Steelers last season but are currently not with a team:
| LAST TEAM 2021 | POSITION | NAME | LAST TRANSACTION OR NEWS |
| Buffalo Bills | WR | Emmanuel Sanders | Announced retirement on September 7, 2022 |
| Baltimore Ravens | T | Alejandro Villanueva | Announced retirement on March 9, 2022 |
| Baltimore Ravens | LB | LJ Fort | Free Agent; spent 2021 on IR |
| Cleveland Browns | WR | Ryan Switzer | Announced retirement on July 18, 2022 |
| Houston Texans | RB | Jaylen Samuels | Free agent: signed by Cardinals but released May 31, 2022 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | K | Matthew Wright | Free Agent: Jaguars waived him May 11, 2022 |
| Tennessee Titans | T | Derwin Gray | Free Agent: Titans waived him June 6, 2022 |
| Tennessee Titans | T | Christian DiLauro | Free Agent: Titans waived him August 30, 2022 |
| Denver Broncos | LB | Avery Williamson | Free Agent: Broncos released him December 23, 2021 |
| Washington Commanders | RB | Wendell Smallwood | Free Agent |
| Chicago Bears | DE | Cassius Marsh | Free Agent: Bears placed him on IR December 10, 2021 |
| Minnesota Vikings | P | Jordan Berry | Free Agent: Vikings released him August 25, 2022 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | Antonio Brown | Rapping |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | RB | Le’Veon Bell | Free Agent, Buccaneers released him January 22, 2022 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NT | Steve McLendon | Free Agent |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | CB | Ross Cockrell | Free Agent: Buccaneers released him August 16, 2022 |
| Arizona Cardinals | DE | Josh Mauro | Visited Bears August 4, 2022, but not signed |
| Los Angeles Rams | DB | Antoine Brooks Jr. | Free Agent, Rams waived him May 4, 2022 |
2021 STEELERS OUT OF NFL
Finally, here are 11 former Steelers that appeared on Pittsburgh’s 2021 regular season roster but are not currently on another team’s roster:
| LAST 2021 TEAM | POSITION | NAME | LAST TRANSACTION OR NEWS |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | QB | Ben Roethlisberger | Announced retirement on January 27, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | DT | Daniel Archibong | Announced retirement on July 11, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | T | Zach Banner | Free Agent; released March 16, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | TE | Eric Ebron | Free Agent; placed on IR November 27, 2021 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | RB | Trey Edmunds | Free Agent; released July 26, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | LB | Ulysees Gilbert III | Free Agent; waived with injury settlement August 19, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | T | Chaz Green | Free Agent; waived August 30, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | CB | Joe Haden | Free Agent |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | LB | Joe Schobert | Free Agent: Broncos signed offseason but released August 23, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | John Simon | Free Agent; released May 16, 2022 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | G | BJ Finney | Announced retirement June 7, 2022 |
CONCLUSION
This year, the Tennessee Titans replace the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team with the most former Steelers (5) on their 53-man roster. The Cleveland Browns with four are the only other team with more than two former Steelers on their 53-man roster to start the season.
Just nine NFL teams do not have a former Steeler on one of their rosters (active, practice squad, or reserve list). The NFC North has three of four teams with no former Steelers on their rosters. The NFC East leads the divisions with ten. Surprisingly, AFC North rival Baltimore ravens has no former Steelers on their roster after several left after last season. As of September 7, 2022, 46 former Steelers appear on teams around the NFL.
Does the increase of former Steelers on other team rosters indicate a deeper overall talent pool?
Rosters are fluid especially at seasons’ start. So, expect these lists to change shape as the season progresses. Let me know who I missed in the comments.
Your Song Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. The business side of the NFL can be as cold as ice. Here is Cold as Ice by Foreigner.
