The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed CB Grayland Arnold on injured reserve, ending his season, the team announced today. In a corresponding move, the team signed CB Kiondre Thomas.
Thomas has played five games in his NFL career and worked out with the team two days ago. He played four games as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and one game with the Green Bay Packers last season.
For Arnold, it’s a disappointing end to his season. He was signed by the Steelers in early June and looked like a favorite to start in the slot for the team, but injuries during camp gave more opportunities for Beanie Bishop, who is listed as the starting slot corner on the team’s depth chart. With Arnold being placed on IR before cutdown day, it marks the end of his 2024 season before it really began. He played just five snaps in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans.
Last season, Arnold logged 143 snaps with the Texans, with 113 of those coming in the slot. He was signed right before the team added CB Cameron Sutton, and with Arnold’s slot experience and Sutton being suspended to start the season, it seemed like a good opportunity for him to come in and earn a role. But between Bishop impressing and Arnold struggling to stay on the field, Bishop took the lead in the slot battle race.
Arnold suffered a calf injury in practice on Wednesday, and it was clearly severe enough for the team to place him on IR. He joins DT Breiden Fehoko on IR. Arnold will have an unspecified split salary charge on IR.
Thomas played college football at Kansas State and was signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent. After being waived by the Browns, he latched on with the Chargers, joining the team’s practice squad in September 2021. He also spent time with the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL earlier this season and signed with the Carolina Panthers on July 26 but was waived a week later. With Arnold out, he’ll provide depth at cornerback for Pittsburgh the rest of the summer. He’ll likely get his first action as a member of the Steelers today in the team’s joint practice against the Buffalo Bills.
