The Pittsburgh Steelers made a trio of moves Monday, confirming the reported signings of LB Nick Kwiatkoski and LS Rex Sunahara. In a corresponding move, the team released WR Anthony Miller. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported the official news on Twitter.
Kwiatkoski is a veteran linebacker with nearly 90 games under his belt. A former fourth-round pick of the Chicago Bears, he played his high school football at Bethel Park, a Pittsburgh suburb, before spending his college career at West Virginia. He participated in the Steelers’ three-day minicamp last week and performed well enough to be signed. He’ll serve as veteran depth along with special teams help. Kwiatkoski spent 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons, exclusively playing on special teams.
Sunahara tried out for the Steelers last month and spent parts of 2021 and 2022 on the team’s roster. He’ll compete with Christian Kuntz for the team’s long snapping duties this summer in what could be an underrated battle during training camp. Undrafted out of West Virginia, he has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
Pittsburgh entered the week with an 89-man active roster following the team’s release of safety Scott Nelson Friday. They only had to release one player today to accommodate the two signings, and Miller became the odd man out. He was signed midway through the 2021 season, appearing in one game that year and catching one pass for two yards. He spent last year on injured reserve after hurting his shoulder early in camp. Pittsburgh signed him to a one-year extension this past January but a crowded wide receiver room made Miller’s odds of making the team slim. He tweeted his goodbye to the city Monday.
The Steelers’ roster now sits at an active 90 along with DL Renell Wren, who is on injured reserve and is not counting against their roster. He tore his Achilles earlier in the offseason.
