The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding to the team’s wide receiver room, signing veteran WR Robert Woods to a one-year deal. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the deal is worth $2 million.
Because it is the Monday after the draft, the compensatory formula period has passed. This means Pittsburgh can’t be “penalized” by having Woods sign on the comp formula docket.
Woods, 33, appeared in 15 games last season for the Houston Texans. Making four starts, he caught 20 passes for 203 yards. He also returned kicks and punts, averaging 9.6 yards per punt and 28.8 yards per return, though the latter came on just five attempts.
A veteran presence known for his blocking and team-first attitude, Woods is on the backend of his career and hasn’t posted a 1,000-yard season since 2019.
Still, the Steelers will count on him to play a situational role and bring leadership and a veteran presence to what’s still a young receiver room overall.
Per Pro Football Focus, Woods primarily aligned as an outside receiver with the Texans last year, logging 282 such snaps. But he played a healthy 115 in the slot, too.
A second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2013, Robert Woods has notched 683 career receptions for over 8,200 yards and 38 touchdowns. His best season came in 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams, catching 86 passes for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns. The Steelers showed some level of interest in Woods coming out of the draft, interviewing him at the NFL Combine.
Pittsburgh did not draft a wide receiver this weekend. With Woods in the fold, the team’s top receivers heading into the offseason program consist of: DK Metcalf, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, and Scotty Miller, along with Woods.
The Steelers created roster spots with the reported and announced releases of NT Montravius Adams and S Ryan Watts. Neither has officially hit the NFL’s transaction sheet and will likely be processed tomorrow. Watts is medically retiring due to a neck injury suffered during the 2024 preseason.
Woods’ low-level contract likely doesn’t guarantee him a final spot on the 53-man roster, but he could have the inside track once the team reports to training camp in July.
