After suffering a hamstring injury in the second half Sunday against the Denver Broncos on the road, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed veteran linebacker Tyler Matakevich on the Reserve/Injured List Tuesday.
The move comes just a few hours after head coach Mike Tomlin provided a brief update on Matakevich’s injury, telling reporters Tuesday that Matakevich was still being evaluated. Now, he’ll be out a minimum of four weeks. Matakevich had played 36 snaps on special teams through the first two games.
Matakevich being placed on the Reserve/Injured List wasn’t the only move the Steelers made Tuesday. GM Omar Khan was busy tweaking his practice squad, signing former Steelers’ cornerback James Pierre and former undrafted free agent cornerback D’Shawn Jamison to it.
To make room for Pierre and Jamison, the Steelers released wide receiver Shaquan Davis and cornerback Zyon Gilbert from their practice squad. Davis was signed just last week.
Pierre previously was with the Washington Commanders throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason before being released on Aug. 27. With the Steelers banged up at gunner with practice-squad elevation Ben Skowronek dealing with a shoulder injury and cornerback Darius Rush struggling in the role, Pierre could fill a need at gunner in Week 3.
As for Jamison, he went undrafted out of Texas in 2023 and initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Jamison spent training camp and the preseason with the team before being released at final cutdowns. Claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers, he appeared in 15 games as a rookie, including one start. He logged 155 snaps on special teams and another 107 on defense, finishing with 10 total tackles and one pass breakup. He also returned a pair of kicks for 40 yards.
Davis was signed last week as the Steelers added some size and speed to the wide receiver room, landing the former undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State who spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. He was signed to the practice squad as the Steelers released outside linebacker Marcus Haynes.
Gilbert was signed in mid-August and played in the Steelers’ last two preseason games, earning a spot on the practice squad after being waived among final cuts.
We spoke with Jamison at the 2023 Senior Bowl. You can check out the interview with Owen Straley below.
The Steelers Active/Inactive roster now sits at 52 players, giving them one open spot.
