After releasing TE Scotty Washington off the practice squad on Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out two tight ends in Ben Mason and John Samuel Shenker. The news was reported by NFL Insider Aaron Wilson.
Shenker signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn, where he held the record for most career catches by a tight end with 68. He also finished his career with the Tigers with 779 total yards in 36 games. At Auburn’s Pro Day, Shenker measured in at 6027 and 242 pounds. He put up 27 reps on the bench and ran a 4.89 40-yard dash. He did not receive a combine invite. He spent six years playing football at Auburn.
Mason was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens as a fullback. However, the NFL transaction log now lists him as a tight end, so he may have decided to try his hand at another position. In addition to a stint with Baltimore, Mason also spent time with the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears, and he also had a second stint in Baltimore that came to an end when he was released from the practice squad on September 26.
The Michigan product has been a free agent ever since. At Michigan’s Pro Day in 2021, Mason measured in at 6026 and 246 pounds. He ran a 4.77 40-yard dash and put up 29 reps on the bench press. Given his size, it would be a bit of a surprise if he became a full-time tight end, and with Pittsburgh without a fullback on their roster, he could potentially fit as a developmental piece at the position.
For more on Mason, you can check out Ross McCorkle’s interview with him pre-draft.
The Steelers currently have two openings on their practice squad after releasing Washington and OL Joey Fisher. We’ll see how they choose to fill them, and they also currently have an opening on their 53-man roster after Kwon Alexander was placed on IR. It doesn’t appear as if Pittsburgh is done with roster moves this week after releasing both Washington and OG Joey Fisher off their practice squad.
