Down two linebackers on season-ending Injured Reserve in Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander and needing depth badly on the practice squad at the position with names like Mykal Walker and Tariq Carpenter set to be part of the roster moving forward, the Steelers turned to a guy that they were apparently familiar with, yet not much of a big name Wednesday.
That would be undrafted free-agent linebacker Tyler Murray.
Murray, who previously spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals during the offseason and training camp, was signed to the practice squad Wednesday, giving the Steelers some depth at the position.
If that name doesn’t ring a bell or doesn’t move the needle for you, you might not be alone. The Steelers apparently had him in the rolodex though and took a shot on him.
Standing 6001, 226 pounds, Murray is a former safety converted to linebacker who played for three different schools in college at Troy, Charlotte, and Memphis. Though he doesn’t have much NFL game tape to go off of, the Steelers are hoping to see what he can bring to the table at the position.
Murray stated to reporters Wednesday that he’s going bring versatility and a ballhawk mentality, letting his size and athleticism do the talking for him in the Black and Gold.
“I’m very versatile. I mean, I’m probably more of a quick linebacker ’cause I transferred from DB to inside the box so I can say I’m a ball hawk. My stats in college were very good. I know I’m smooth with that. I can say I’m versatile with playing linebacker and I can read a lot of stuff though,” Murray said to reporters Wednesday, according to video via Steelers.com.
The versatility and overall athleticism are quite intriguing. At his Pro Day coming out of Memphis on March 27, 2023, Murray clocked a 4.65 40-yard dash, added a 35.5-inch vertical jump, a 10’2″ broad jump, and a 7.55 3-cone time. He went undrafted though before landing with the Bengals, then being cut and working at Amazon before getting a call to work out for the Steelers, leading to his signing.
In college, Murray started all 13 games for the Tigers in 2022, recording 67 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, three quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups. Prior to his time at Memphis, Murray was a two-year starter for Charlotte and was a team captain in 2021. At Charlotte, Murray had 128 tackles in two seasons, adding 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries as a key defender for the 49ers.
Despite the production in college, he was overlooked in the draft. For that, he thinks because he transferred three times that he got lost in the shuffle.
“I transferred three times so that probably got lost in the loop,” Murray added. “But I learned a lot from a lot of coaches, and I met a lot of people that networked me to help me out to get to where I’m at right now. So that’s a blessing.”
On top of that, Murray stated that the Steelers previously had contact with him during the pre-draft process while he was playing in the NFLPA Bowl in Los Angeles. Now, he’s in Pittsburgh as a practice squad linebacker with an opportunity in front of him to carve out a spot with the franchise as they deal with injuries.
Pretty cool story.
