With an open practice squad spot after losing rookie safety Sebastian Castro to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried out a slew of replacements on Wednesday. Per the NFL’s transaction sheet, the Steelers worked out: Kendell Brooks, Jack Henderson, Maxen Hook, Glendon Miller, and Mark Perry.
Tuesday, Castro was signed from the Steelers’ practice squad to the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.
Perry’s workout was reported earlier in the day. Athletic out of TCU, Pittsburgh attempted to sign him to the practice squad early in the 2024 season, but Perry signed with the Houston Texans instead. He spent training camp this year with the Chicago Bears.
Brooks went undrafted in 2023 out of Michigan State. He’s spent time with a number of NFL teams and was most recently a member of the Tennessee Titans. Briefly signed to the practice squad to begin the year, Brooks was cut on September 1st. Out of college, he measured in at 5115, 206 pounds and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash. He tried out for the New England Patriots yesterday. Brooks had a memorable preseason moment with a pick-six against the Atlanta Falcons.
Henderson has spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game. Like Brooks, he recently tried out for the New England Patriots but did not sign. Henderson entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota. He began his college career at Southeast Louisiana. At his Pro Day, Henderson weighed in at 6017, 203 pounds and posted strong testing: a 4.54 40-time, 39-inch vertical, 10’8″ broad, and 6.81 three cone.
Hook is a rookie UDFA out of Toledo. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after this April’s draft but failed to make the team’s roster or stick on the practice squad. We profiled Hook in one of our pre-draft scouting reports, praising him for his aggressive demeanor and career production (356 tackles, 7 INTs). Well-built at 6004, 203 pounds, he ran a 4.55 40-yard dash. Here’s how we summed up his outlook in our report.
“Overall, Maxen Hook is a consistent and active strong safety always around the ball. At minimum, he should find a home on special teams and work well as a sixth defensive back/strong safety, doing his best work near the line of scrimmage. Still, he lacks high-end explosiveness and foot speed to log full-time starting snaps. He’ll also have to avoid injuries and make sure he’s available as a likely Day Three selection, where one ailment could derail the start of his career.”
Miller spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs. Undrafted out of Maryland, he recorded 100 tackles and seven interceptions during his college career. At his Terps Pro Day, he impressed with a 4.45 40-yard dash and 38-inch vertical at 6027, 207 pounds.
Pittsburgh will likely sign one of these names to complete its 17-man practice squad. The Steelers still have an open spot on their 53-man roster that hasn’t been filled since OL Max Scharping was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in practice last month.
