The Pittsburgh Steelers have waived/injured CB Kalon Barnes, the team announced Monday afternoon.
Barnes suffered a quad injury Sunday and missed the latter half of practice. He did not participate in Monday’s session. While on IR, Barnes will earn a split salary of $495,000. The team could also release him with an injury settlement over the next week.
Barnes spent part of the 2023 season on the Steelers’ practice squad and was signed to a Reserve/Future contract after the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Barnes’ most notable trait is his speed, running a blistering 4.23 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine. In college, he picked off three passes after beginning his Baylor career as a wide receiver.
He was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and has spent time with several teams already. Barnes has appeared in two NFL games, both with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and playing nine special teams snaps.
Barnes began training camp as a clear-cut backup outside corner, running with the second team opposite Darius Rush. But Barnes lost reps throughout training camp as Anthony Averett and Cory Trice Jr. increased their roles. Despite his timed speed, Barnes didn’t show the same wheels in practice and was often beat vertically.
Per our charting, Barnes played 33 defensive snaps in the Steelers’ preseason opener against the Houston Texans. He was targeted three times, allowing two completions for 19 yards.
With the move, the Steelers have two vacant spots on their 53-man roster, the other still unfilled about OLB Markus Golden retired over the weekend. Pittsburgh will hold its final training camp practice tomorrow. We’ll see if the team refills its roster by the morning. The team could add another cornerback or an offensive tackle, safety, or wide receiver where lines are thin due to injury.
