Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Samuels hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021, but his football journey isn’t over. Samuels is now a member of the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League, and in their first preseason tilt against the Montreal Alouettes, Samuels broke off an explosive touchdown run. The official CFL account posted a video of Samuels’ touchdown.
A fifth-round pick by the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft, Samuels had two fairly productive seasons for Pittsburgh. The all-time receptions leader at NC State, Samuels became a quality receiving back for the Steelers and pulled in 47 receptions for 305 yards in 2019. He had 82 receptions in three years with the Steelers and also ran the ball 131 times for 459 yards.
In Samuels’ rookie season, he played a key role in helping the Steelers upset the New England Patriots in Week 12. With James Conner out, Samuels carried the ball 19 times for 142 yards in a 17-10 Steelers win while chipping in two receptions for 30 yards.
After being released by the Steelers, he had a three-game stint with the Houston Texans and signed a Reserve/Futures deal with the Arizona Cardinals but was cut early in the 2022 offseason. Since then, he’s been out of the NFL. Samuels had signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the then-XFL in 2023 and briefly was on the San Antonio Brahmas’ roster in the UFL last season, but Samuels is now north of the border trying to keep his career alive.
On the Redblacks, Samuels joins NFL veteran Craig James, who has 23 games of experience across four seasons under his belt, as veterans looking to continue to prove they can still play. While a return to the NFL is a longshot for Samuels, he’s getting the chance to show he’s not done yet and will at least have an opportunity to be an impact player in the CFL.
It’s rare for a player to go from the NFL to the CFL and back to the NFL, but that’s what Jaylen Samuels is likely trying to accomplish. While his Steelers career was short-lived, his game against the Patriots will always be a fond memory, and he was a solid contributor during his time in Pittsburgh. It would be cool to see him get a chance to return to the NFL with a strong performance this season for the Redblacks, and his first showing with the team almost certainly left a good impression given his long touchdown run.
