Steelers to potentially lose starter for the season after leg injury during final practice of training camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers returned home on Thursday, setting up a joint practice with the Buffalo Bills ahead of their preseason game in front of the nation on Saturday night.

Wrapping up camp in Latrobe on Wednesday, the team went unpadded and light, but they still lost multiple starters to injury .

One of them was Grayland Arnold, who had been taking first-team reps at nickel-slot CB during the final week, and now may be lost for the season:

DB Grayland Arnold Placed on I.R.

Roster moves continue: The Steelers signed defensive back Kiondre Thomas.

Thomas originally signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent time on the Green Bay Packers practice squad as well as with the Carolina Panthers.

Thomas played college football at Kansas State in 2020, after transferring from Minnesota. While at Kansas State he appeared in eight games, recording 27 tackles, 20 of them solo stops and four passes defended.

The team also placed defensive back Grayland Arnold on the Reserve/Injured List.

- Teresa Varley, Steelers

The move now opens the door for rookie UDFA Beanie Bishop to all but solidify the job as the starter going forward. The rookie was listed as a starter on the team's initial depth chart release , but Coach Tomlin cited the suspension of Cam Sutton and then minor injury to Grayland Arnold as his reasoning for doing so.

But Tomlin, like many others, has watched Bishop find his way to the ball all camp, blowing up screens, catching interceptions, and forcing pass breakups.

Unfortunately, Arnold was doing the same after returning from injury and was on pace to earn the starting job when dissecting his momentum at the end of camp.

The onus is now on Bishop.

If Arnold is not removed from I.R with an injury settlement, he is out for the year.