Did the Los Angeles Rams come calling about WR Ben Skowronek before the Steelers promoted him to the 53-man roster?
The Steelers have not announced the move yet, but they officially signed WR Ben Skowronek to the 53-man roster. It’s on the transaction sheet from yesterday, so it’s in the league office, and a done deal. The Steelers elevated Skowronek from the practice squad in each of the first two games.
Teams may elevate any one player from the practice squad three times in a season, so Skowronek only had one week of eligibility left for elevation. If the Steelers wanted to continue playing him, they would have had to sign him to the 53-man roster soon, regardless.
Tyler Matakevich’s hamstring injury that sent him to the Reserve/Injured List provided the Steelers a convenient opportunity to do it. But did they have an outside threat spur them to action, as well? Skowronek played his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, and they have major injuries at wide receiver now.
The Rams have already placed Puka Nacua on the Reserve/Injured List, and he is expected to miss 5-7 weeks. They may also place Cooper Kupp on IR with an ankle injury that will keep him out an “extended period”. It only makes sense that they would try to pluck Ben Skowronek from the Steelers’ practice squad.
As you likely already know, any player on any practice squad is free to sign with any team. They have to agree to sign with that team, however, and can use an offer as leverage against their team. Skowronek could have gone to the Steelers and told them the Rams had offered him a 53-man roster contract. The Steelers recently signed Terrell Edmunds, their former player, off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad.
A former seventh-round pick, Ben Skowronek logged over 1,000 snaps of offense over three years for the Rams, mostly in 2022, plus nearly 600 special teams snaps. He has 58 career receptions for 575 yards and one touchdown. In his first two games with the Steelers, he has played 23 snaps on special teams. He also played six snaps on offense this past Sunday as the team waits for Roman Wilson’s debut.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
