For now, the Pittsburgh Steelers own sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Pittsburgh holds a 6-2 record, but the Baltimore Ravens are right on their tail at 5-3. As we head into the second half of the season, the games obviously start to mean more. Baltimore has a big game ahead of them this week, taking on another playoff hopeful in the Denver Broncos. Ahead of their game, they elevated two players from their practice squad, nose tackle Josh Tupou and former Pittsburgh Steelers (and former and now current Baltimore Raven) defensive end Chris Wormley.
Wormley is a familiar face. He’s set to return to play for the Ravens, the team he was originally drafted by back in 2017, as a third-round pick. He spent the first three years of his career in Baltimore, before being traded to the Steelers ahead of the 2020 season.
Wormley would remain a Steeler for three years, with his final season in Pittsburgh coming in 2022. He signed with the Carolina Panthers for the 2023 year. Through his seven-year career, Wormley’s played in 85 games, starting in 31 of them. He’s got 146 career tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, 10 passes defended and two forced fumbles. A torn ACL in his final season with Pittsburgh derailed his career but he’s gotten back in the league.
Wormley last played with the Ravens in 2019, so he’ll be donning their uniform for the first time in quite a while. Baltimore hopes these two can help them to a win on Sunday. Steelers fans hope for the opposite, as a Ravens loss would further secure their hold on the division.
Tupou’s in his first season with the Ravens, but he’s been in the division for a while. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2017 season, and has spent his entire career with the team. Tupou has appeared in 65 games in his career, starting in 23 of them. Through that time, he’s racked up 86 career tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one tackle for a loss.
If Tupou takes the field on Sunday, it will be the first time he’s done so during the 2024 season. He did, however, play in 14 games during the 2023 season.
