The Pittsburgh Steelers have completed workouts with two players and hosted two others on Friday, according to Aaron Wilson on X.
Headlining the list is former Steelers WR Brandon Johnson, who was with the team dating back to last season until he was released from IR at roster cutdowns in August. He came in for a visit along with OT Bayron Matos. They also worked out LB Otis Reese and DE Ben Stille.
Johnson was released with an injury settlement, so he was ineligible to return to the team until a waiting period had passed. They are now in the clear to re-sign him if he is healthy and they have a need for him on the roster or practice squad.
Johnson was originally an undrafted free agent in 2022 to the Denver Broncos, and WR coach Zach Azzanni had a hand in bringing him to Pittsburgh from their time spent together in Denver. The UCF product entered the league at 6023, 195 pounds with a 4.61-second 40-yard dash.
Johnson has appeared in three games for the Steelers with one reception for nine yards. This preseason, he caught five passes for 28 yards. He was having a nice camp until he suffered a foot injury and was a prime candidate for the practice squad. Now he may end up there, after all.
Reese was in for a tryout on Aug. 15, so they are working him out for the second time in the last two months. They clearly liked something they saw last time around. The Ole Miss product entered the league as an undrafted free agent to the Tennessee Titans. He appeared in 20 games for them with five starts and has 38 total tackles, one TFL, one PD, and one INT in his career.
Bayron Matos entered the league as an undrafted free agent to the Miami Dolphins in 2024. He bounced on and off their roster until he was waived/injured at the beginning of September. The South Florida product stands 6071, 313 pounds with 35 1/4-inch arms. It’s easy to see why there is interest in a player of that size.
Ben Stille signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dolphins in 2022 and made his way to their practice squad for the first couple months of his rookie season. He has since bounced on and off the roster of the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. He measured in at 6040, 300 pounds at his Nebraska Pro Day. He also ran a 4.98-second 40-yard dash and put up 22 reps on the bench press.
Stille has appeared in 18 games in his career, including six in 2024. He has started just one game. Over that time, he’s racked up 17 total tackles, two sacks, one TFL, three QB hits, and one PD.
