The Pittsburgh Steelers signed a second player that they worked out yesterday, adding Greg Bell on a one-year contract, the team announced today. In a corresponding move, the team released RB Jason Huntley. Pittsburgh’s roster remains at a full 90 players as of now.
Bell signed as undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions in 2022 after a career at San Diego State where he ran for 1,728 yards and 15 touchdowns. He began his career at Arizona Western, a JUCO, before transferring to Nebraska and then eventually finding a home at SDSU. He earned an invite to the NFL Combine but was undrafted and spent 2022 on IR with Detroit due to a hamstring injury. He was waived by the Lions on July 23 of this year. It didn’t take long for the 5’10, 204-pound running back to find a new home in Pittsburgh.
With the injury to Alfonzo Graham, the Steelers added RB John Lovett yesterday, and they’re looking to add more competition with the addition of Bell. They obviously saw something they liked in Bell that caused them to move on from Huntley, a player who spent most of last season on their practice squad.
Huntley has more NFL experience than either Lovett or Bell, but Lovett recently impressed in the XFL with the Vegas Vipers, while Bell was someone who has spent time around an NFL organization for the past season, and clearly impressed in his tryout.
Pittsburgh’s running back room now consists of Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr., Darius Hagans, Lovett and Bell with Graham out for the season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder. He will likely head to IR at some point before the season starts, knocking him out for the entirety of the 2023 season.
The race for the No. 3 running back spot behind Harris and Warren is still alive and well. Now Lovett and Bell, along with Hagans, will try to impress enough in the remaining 12 training camp practices and three preseason games to surpass the veteran in McFarland and earn a spot on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster.
