Ahead of preparation for Week 3 against the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a number of roster moves Wednesday.
Along with several practice squad moves, the Steelers announced they’ve signed OLB DeMarvin Leal to the active roster from the practice squad and placed defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk on Injured Reserve. The Steelers signed LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, WR Isaiah Hodgins and TE Matt Sokol to their practice squad and released WR Rakim Jarrett and TE JJ Galbreath from it.
Leal was released on Aug. 26 as part of final roster cuts. The Steelers signed him to their practice squad, where he’s remained through the first two weeks of the season.
Coming into his fourth NFL season after missing much of 2024 with a neck injury, Leal added weight and was playing more outside linebacker, providing flexibility for the Steelers defensively. But he found himself in a deep OLB room with the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and rookie Jack Sawyer, making him the odd man out with little special teams abilities.
The injury to Alex Highsmith, along with the injury to Loudermilk, in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks created the need for additional depth and pass-rush juice off the edge, leading to the Steelers signing Leal to the active roster.
Loudermilk went down early in the Steelers’ Week 2 loss to the Seahawks, and head coach Mike Tomlin stated Tuesday that he will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“He has a high-ankle sprain. That could be described as weeks,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “Alex Highsmith, he has a lesser significant but at the same time he has an ankle sprain as well. He can be characterized as out as well.”
According to reporters, Loudermil was spotted after the Seahawks game on crutches and in a walking boot on his right foot. Loudermilk has been starting in place of injured first-round rookie Derrick Harmon, who missed the first two games due to an MCL sprain suffered in the preseason.
In two games this season, Loudermilk played 37 snaps and has yet to generate anything in the stats sheet. With Loudermilk now on IR, rookie fifth-round pick Yahya Black is in line to start against the Patriots.
With Loudermilk down and Highsmith out for at least Week 3, the Steelers needed to make a move along the defensive front. Signing Leal to the active roster makes sense. He’s played up and down the line of scrimmage during his time in the NFL and has added outside linebacker responsibilities to his resume.
Leal generated five pressures in the preseason, including three in the finale against the Carolina Panthers, so there’s some pass-rush juice there with the former third-round pick.
The practice squad moves come after a busy Tuesday on the South Side when the Steelers worked out a number of players. Bentley is the big name as he fills a potential need at ILB for the next few weeks with Malik Harrison on IR and Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson having some struggles.
Bentley is a former four-time team captain with the Patriots, and the former fifth-round pick started 68 games with the Patriots before being released in March.
Hodgins adds some size to the receiver room, while Sokol circles back to the Steelers, having spent time with the franchise in 2024 during training camp and on the practice squad at times during the season.
