Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Devin Harper has officially cleared waivers and been placed on injured reserve, according to the NFL’s official transactions sheet issued Tuesday evening. Harper was waived/injured by the team Monday as one part of several roster moves ahead of the team’s preseason finale. Though initially announced as just a release by the team, the NFL sheet showed Harper was designated with an injury.
It’s not known what injury Harper suffered. He participated in every training camp practice sans one, returning for the team’s final session last week. He logged 20 snaps in Saturday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t mention him among the injured players during his post-game press conference.
Harper signed a Reserve/Futures contract with the Steelers on January 14 and was rostered throughout the offseason. He reunited with Scott McCurley, tabbed as the Steelers new inside linebackers coach. McCurley was in Dallas when Harper was drafted by the Cowboys in 2022. He appeared in six games with Dallas and spent another six with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023, recording five tackles while playing almost exclusively on special teams.
In Pittsburgh, Harper struggled to find consistent reps. At the back-end of the depth chart with few players getting days off ahead of him, he split third-string work with rookie Carson Bruener. Harper appeared in both preseason games and logged 42 total defensive snaps with another 24 on special teams. He recorded five total tackles.
Procedurally, he lands on IR and could be released with an injury settlement within a week. That determination will be made by the severity of his injury. If released with a settlement, Harper will rehab and get healthy before trying to latch onto an NFL practice squad.
Pittsburgh’s current inside linebacker group consists of: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison, and Bruener.
