To help compensate for T.J. Watt’s injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed rookie OLB David Perales to their practice squad, the team announced Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the team released S Nate Meadors.
While Perales isn’t expected to have any on-field impact for Sunday’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, he’ll provide depth this week as the team goes through practice. An undrafted rookie free agent from Fresno State, Perales signed with the team following the 2023 NFL Draft and was carried throughout the summer. From training camp, here is our report on Perales’ play.
“Undrafted from Fresno State, I thought he could be something of a camp darling. Typically, Pittsburgh has one or two of those unknown pass rush types who emerge in camp. Perales, though, was quiet for most of the summer. He got a good chunk of reps and occasionally won in the run and pass game.
But inside stadiums, he was routinely locked up. He looks as slow off the ball as he tested with average hand use and he can’t get off blocks. Per our charting, Perales had 49 pass-rush reps in the first two preseason games. He had zero pressures. Pittsburgh likes his effort and maybe he sticks on the practice squad for a bit but there’s not much here.”
In college, Perales had a strong career. In three years with the Bulldogs, he recorded 38 tackles for a loss and 23 sacks with an impressive nine forced fumbles. In 2022, he had his best year, finishing with 16 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and an interception. He didn’t test well at his Pro Day, running a 5.04 40 though an ankle injury he was recovering from impacted his testing.
Since being waived at cutdowns, he’s bounced on and off the Steelers’ practice squad. He’s yet to be elevated to the 53-man roster or appear in a regular-season game.
Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden, Nick Herbig, and Kyron Johnson are currently the four healthy outside linebackers on Pittsburgh’s roster and will suit up for the Wild Card game Sunday.
Meadors was signed to the Steelers’ practice squad on Dec. 27. Pittsburgh is much healthier at safety now with Damontae Kazee’s suspension over and Minkah Fitzpatrick expected to return while Trenton Thompson could also fully come back to the team.
