The Pittsburgh Steelers made a host of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon, which included the release of CB Darius Rush and S Jalen Elliott from their active roster. The Steelers also signed G Max Scharping to their active roster off the Washington Commanders’ practice squad while placing OG James Daniels on injured reserve, the team announced today.
We have made multiple roster moves. @BordasLawhttps://t.co/8e4gVD5FXX
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 1, 2024
Daniels is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles.
The team also signed OLB Eku Leota and RB La’Mical Perine to the practice squad. Perine spent training camp and the preseason with the Steelers. To create room on the practice squad, EDGE Marcus Haynes and FB Jack Colletto were released.
Dealing with a host of injuries along their offensive line, including Daniels, the Steelers add some additional depth in Scharping, a veteran who has played in 79 games with 33 starts over the last six seasons. He entered the league as a second-round pick by the Houston Texans in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he has experience in the AFC North, playing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 and 2023.
Rush started the season as one of Pittsburgh’s starting gunners, but he quickly lost that role, and the team clearly didn’t value him as cornerback depth. Elliott committed a special teams penalty in Pittsburgh’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4 and was a surprise addition to the 53-man roster when the Steelers made their final roster cuts, and they now move on.
There was some buzz that Colletto could be a 53-man roster candidate with Arthur Smith having used a fullback in Tennessee and Atlanta, but he didn’t make the initial 53 and only lasted five weeks on the practice squad. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets another opportunity with the Steelers or elsewhere this season.
This is now the second time the Steelers have released Haynes from their practice squad, and Leota, who had a sack in Week 1 and played the first two weeks of the season with the Carolina Panthers, is likely an upgrade as an edge rusher for the Steelers. Perine is someone the team is familiar with, and with Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson both dealing with injuries, he’ll provide depth in the running back room behind Najee Harris.
Last week, the Steelers elevated RB Aaron Shampklin off the practice squad to the active roster ahead of the Colts game, and Perine is now a potential candidate if one of Warren or Patterson can’t go since Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys since he is familiar with Pittsburgh’s offense from the preseason.
With Daniels going to IR and the two released players, the Steelers have two open roster spots on their 53-man roster after the addition of Scharping.
