It’s unusual for a free agent to make one trip to Pittsburgh and leave without a contract, much less make two of them. But WR Gabe Davis has twice passed through the team facility without a deal. According to Steelers’ insiders Mike Prisuta and Bob Labriola, a deal isn’t close, and Davis’ most recent visit again centered around his health.
“Gabe Davis was brought in for a medical follow-up,” Prisuta said on 102.5 DVE ahead of Thursday night’s preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. “And when he came in free agency, the Steelers did not like, and subsequently other teams have not liked, what they saw from MRIs or whatever it was that they looked at following that knee injury that ended his season last year.”
Health is the biggest reason why Davis remains a free agent and has taken tours around the NFL. As confirmed on a recent episode on Shane Gillis’ podcast, Davis tore his meniscus and PCL mid-way through the season, fully tearing the latter after playing through a partial tear.
On the surface, it might not sound like an injury that would still ail him 10 months later. But as Davis shared, he was on crutches for the first three months, got a blood clot in his calf, and had to be placed on blood thinners.
He didn’t resume training until roughly one month ago, meaning he’s not particularly close to suiting up for gameday. And makes the doctors a more important component than the head coach or general manager.
Still, the Steelers are doing due diligence. At the least, that speaks to some measure of interest in upgrading the wide receiver room. Davis’ minimum price tag makes him more appealing, the Jaguars remain on the hook for his 2025 salary, but he can’t help the team if he’s still rehabbing. The longer it takes for him to be fully cleared, the more catching up he’ll need to acclimate himself to a new team.
It’s why a reunion with the Buffalo Bills might make the most sense. After leaving Pittsburgh, Davis visited the Bills, the team who drafted him and spent four seasons with. Davis also left that meeting without a contract, presumably due to the same health concerns.
For now, all sides will play the waiting game. Waiting for Davis to get healthy, waiting to see how Roman Wilson and company fare, and waiting to see if any other receiver doors open up over the next two weeks before the regular season kicks off.
