Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Renell Wren has been placed on injured reserve, the team announced today. As a result, Wren will miss the entire 2023 season. Wren was signed by the Steelers last year following releases by the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles.
A former fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, Wren played one snap for the Steelers in Week 17 against the Ravens. His other NFL experience came with the Bengals between 2019-21, when he played in 12 games with nine tackles.
Wren’s injury was likely suffered recently and severe enough for the Steelers to deem him out for the year. That type of injury can include a torn knee ligament, ruptured Achilles tendon, or upper arm injury, such as a torn tricep. Wren being placed on IR opens up a roster spot for Pittsburgh, which also reportedly claimed defensive lineman Manny Jones off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals today, potentially due to Wren going down for the season.
With Wren going down, the Steelers defensive line room gets a little bit thinner. While he wasn’t expected to have a huge role with the team, he fits what Pittsburgh looks for in a defensive lineman and the team clearly thought enough of him to give him a chance last season, albeit only playing one snap. Missing a season will surely hurt his development, and it could end up spelling the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh’s defensive line group still looks solid, anchored by Larry Ogunjobi and Cameron Heyward with rookie Keeanu Benton also looking to make an impact as a rookie. The team also has newly signed Breiden Fehoko and Armon Watts for depth, in addition to Montravius Adams and Jonathan Marshall. Marshall, along with undrafted free agent James Nyamwaya, may now have a better chance to earn a spot on the practice squad or 53-man roster.
It always stinks seeing a player go down for the year, and hopefully this is just a small setback in Wren’s career.
