The Detroit Lions have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Benny Snell, the team announced moments ago.
Snell worked out for several teams, including the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, since becoming a free agent in March. Now he’s finally landed in an NFL camp.
A fourth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2019 draft, he saw considerable playing time his first two years, in part due to injuries to RB James Conner. As a rookie, Snell had 108 carries and in 2020, he had 111. A downhill runner, Snell lacked much wiggle and averaged only 3.6 yards per carry between the two seasons. In 2022, he was seldom used as a runner, just 20 carries the whole season, though he played a key role in the team’s win over the Indianapolis Colts when Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren were lost to injuries.
He carved out a key role as a core special teamer. In four seasons with the Steelers, he notched 24 total tackles. For his NFL career, Snell has 275 carries for 982 yards and seven touchdowns. He was best known for the tagline of “Benny Snell Football,” something created during his prolific days at Kentucky, though he never replicated that success at the NFL level.
A free agent this offseason, he was not re-signed. Instead, it appears RB Anthony McFarland Jr. will be the Steelers’ No. 3 back this year, head and shoulders above any of the team’s other internal options this camp.
Snell will look to catch on in the Lions’ backfield and make the roster this summer. Detroit signed RB David Montgomery this offseason and drafted Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, leaving Snell to compete for a third spot with Craig Reynolds and others the rest of the summer. As the Lions’ tweet notes, RB Justin Jackson was placed on the Reserve/Retired list. Snell will join former Steelers’ CB Cam Sutton in Detroit, who signed a three-year deal with the team in March.
