Steelers Ex Joins Lions Practice Squad
By Harrison Reno,
1 day agoAUGUST 29 - STEELERS EX - A day after being cut by the New York Giants, veteran receiver Allen Robinson has already found a new home. NFL.com 's Tom Pelissero reported that the former Pittsburgh Steelers playmaker joined the Detroit Lions practice squad.
The 31-year-old spent last season with the Steelers, playing in all 17 games and totaling 280 yards on 34 receptions. The former second-round pick out of Penn State has struggled in his last three seasons to recapture the form that saw him go for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years (2019-20) with the Chicago Bears.
And while he won't start on the 53-man roster in Detroit, he will have the opportunity to work his way onto it.
Related: Arthur Smith's Steelers vs. Falcons Season Opener: Revisiting the Last Meeting
AUGUST 28 - FOUR GOOD QBs? - Despite the saying, if you have more than one quarterback, then you have none. The Cleveland Browns decided to keep four signal-callers on their initial 53-man roster.
That was despite an earlier report revealing that the Pittsburgh Steelers ' AFC North rival was open to fielding calls about Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley, both of their veteran backups. Obviously, a trade never got done before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline, so why does Cleveland want to carry four quarterbacks right now?
“We have four good quarterbacks,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday. “Simply.”
"Simply?" Maybe it is a simple decision for the Browns, but it doesn't seem to be for the reason Stefanski gave the public. Rather, the decision seems to be a case of a trade that hadn't materialized in time for the deadline, so the Browns are selecting to wait for a deal instead of cutting them and getting nothing.
AUGUST 27 - CEEDEE EXTENSION - After a weeks-long holdout from training camp, star receiver CeeDee Lamb returned to the Dallas Cowboys facility Monday as he signed his new contract.
After almost a month of waiting and even some indirect back-and-forth between Lamb and Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones, the two sides came to an agreement on Monday.
According to reports, Lamb signed a four-year contract totaling $136 million, with an annual average value of $34 million. He became the league's second-highest-paid non-quarterback. Only Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson ranks above him in terms of money.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Cowboys and Lamb in Week 5, which will be NBC's "Sunday Night Football" game.
AUGUST 26 - TOUCHDOWN - The road back to the NFL was long for former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant . The now-current Washington Commander had his once-promising career sidelined as he served a six-year suspension due to multiple infractions of the NFL's policy on drug use.
However, despite the long layoff, he is still trying to make an NFL comeback. This led to Bryant's first highlight during Sunday's 20-12 Commanders preseason win over the New England Patriots, where he found the endzone for the first time since being reinstated.
The four-yard touchdown reception was Bryant's first since December 17, 2017, when, ironically, he totaled 59 yards and a touchdown on four receptions as a member of the Steelers versus the Patriots.
AUGUST 25 - CHASE IS BACK? - With the NFL's preseason wrapped up for all but six teams, attention is turning toward the upcoming roster cutdown day and preparations for the regular season opener. However, for others, like Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, it is time to return to work.
The former first-round pick has been a holdout from Bengals training camp as he awaits a contract extension. Despite not having one yet, he finally returned to the practice field as a participant Sunday, according to NFL.com's Tom Pelissero .
While this doesn't necessarily mean that Chase will receive a contract extension immediately, it seemingly indicates that his holdout will likely not extend into the beginning of the regular season.
AUGUST 23 - KICKER TRADE— In what may not ultimately go down as a surprising move, the Pittsburgh Steelers ' rival Cleveland Browns pulled off a trade Thursday. And no, it wasn't a trade for San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk .
Rather, they were the team giving up a player, kicker Cade York, who they sent to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick.
With the NFL's roster cutdown day looming, teams are expected to begin making roster moves, even including trades, as they trim down to the 53-man limit.
After signing veteran kicker Dusty Hopkins to a three-year, $15.9 million extension this offseason, it comes as little surprise that the Browns moved on from York.
AUGUST 21 - BROWNS PLAYER RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL - Anytime a player goes down with an injury, there could be a tendency to hold your breath, hoping it is nothing serious.
However, that holding-your-breath feeling must've been more extreme for the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, as they saw third-year running back Pierre Strong Jr. enter the ambulance with an apparent upper-body injury.
However, fortunately, the injury wasn't too serious. The Pittsburgh Steelers ' AFC North rival announced Wednesday evening that the 25-year-old had been released from the hospital with a rib contusion.
"Browns RB Pierre Strong suffered a rib contusion," the Browns said in a statement. "He has been released from University Hospitals after being transported there by ambulance as a precaution while experiencing shortness of breath."
Strong is now the second Browns running back to be released from the hospital following an injury in training camp. D'Onta Foreman was taken into an ambulance after a neck injury.
AUGUST 20 - SIGNING— While the NFL's cutdown day is just a week away, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still adding to their roster before their preseason finale against the Detroit Lions.
As first reported by the KPRC2's Aaron Wilson , the Steelers signed former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kyahva Tezino. Tezino, the former San Diego State product, is coming off two impressive stints in spring football, where most recently, he played for the UFL's Birmingham Stallions, totaling 42 tackles, eight sacks, and three pass breakups.
That came after a standout season in the USFL with the Pittsburgh Maulers, during which he was named to the All-USFL league team, totaling 94 tackles and two interceptions in 2022.
AUGUST 19 - MCFARLAND SIGNED - As teams prepare for their final preseason game and the regular season ahead, they are still looking for free agents who could fill holes on their roster. The Miami Dolphins are one of those teams, as they signed former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Anthony McFarland Jr., according to NFL.com's Tom Pelissero.
McFarland, the former fourth-round pick out of Maryland played three seasons with the Steelers before being released this past offseason. Over that time, the Maryland product totaled 146 yards on 42 carries in addition to 87 yards on 11 receptions as a receiver out of the backfield.
The signing of McFarland comes just as the Dolphins opened up a spot on their roster with the release of fellow running back, Salvon Ahmed.
AUGUST 16 - GRANT IR - As the Atlanta Falcons continue to work through training camp, they've not had the best of luck staying healthy. That is especially true at receiver, as recent free agent signing Jakeem Grant has become the latest to go down with an injury.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Grant went down with a hamstring injury in practice Wednesday and has now been placed on the injured reserve. It is another rather heartbreaking setback for the 31-year-old hoping to return after missing the past two seasons due to injuries.
Thus, Grant has been ruled out of the Falcons regular-season opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers .
AUGUST 10 - COOPER ON THE MOVE? - In their quest to trade for San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk , it seems the Pittsburgh Steelers rival, Cleveland Browns , has upset one of their own in the process.
Following a report Friday from NBCSports's Matt Maiocco that revealed the Browns offered their current star receiver Amari Cooper in addition to a second, and a fifth-round pick to the Niners in a now rejected proposal, Cleveland may not be alone in their desire to move on.
Not long after the news broke that the Browns offered Cooper in their proposal to the Niners, the 30-year-old posted a very cryptic message to his Instagram Story.
"Lol, I wouldn't mind at all," Cooper wrote.
What wouldn't he mind? Well, he doesn't specify, but considering that the post came out Friday evening following the report of Cleveland's offer, we presume to say that Cooper is suggesting he "wouldn't mind" a trade to San Francisco.
If Cooper is indeed disgruntled by these trade talks, then things could be even more interesting for the Steelers' AFC North rivals because even if they don't land Aiyuk, the damage may have already been done to their relationship with Cooper.
AUGUST 8 - With the start of the NFL's regular season just around the corner, Bud Light, the league's "official beer sponsor," has unveiled special edition team cans.
So, if fans are looking for an adult beverage to enjoy with the team's upcoming preseason opener on Friday, Bud Light is now selling limited edition Pittsburgh Steelers -themed cans.
The Steelers will play host to the Houston Texans on Friday night. Kickoff inside of Acrisure Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. (EST).
AUGUST 6 - NO ISSUES— One of the biggest questions heading into training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers' rival Cleveland Browns was Deshaun Watson's health and, more specifically, how he'd adjust to throwing the football every day once again.
According to all accounts, Watson has not had any cause for concern during the first two weeks of training camp. Newly hired Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey continued that trend on Monday when speaking with the media for the first time in Cleveland.
"I haven't seen him have any issues in terms of not being 100% or anything like that," Dorsey said. "I think he's doing a very good job. It seems like he's feeling well throwing the football."
While Watson is seemingly back to 100 percent following his injury, no decision has been made on whether he'll play in the Browns' upcoming preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
AUG 4 PICKS OR PLAYERS? Will it come down to Steelers vs. Browns in a bidding war to trade for 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk?
Aiyuk wants to make $30 million APY. The 49ers don't seem to wish to go there, while bidders (maybe the two mentioned teams and Washington, too) might.
Would the Niners be willing to accept Amari Cooper in a swap for Aiyuk?
Would they prefer that over picks, which the Steelers might dangle?
It's a cool twist on the arms race in the AFC North. Who wins?
AUGUST 4 - CHUBB ACTIVATION? - Despite it still being under a year since suffering his gruesome knee injury versus the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is seemingly nearing his return to the field.
According to Cleveland.com 's Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns running back who started training camp on the physically unable to perform list looks set to be activated in the near future.
“The way you see him run and cut, it looks like he can do football activities pretty soon,” Cabot said in her recent appearance on the Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima. “I think at some point during this camp, he will be activated and available for one of those first three games.”
Chubb's activation will certainly be good news for the Browns, who have been waiting for it since his earlier designation as a precaution. Instead of risking Chubb not being able to participate fully when the team kicked off training camp last week, the Browns decided to list him on the PUP list.
This early designation meant the Browns avoided the penalty of forcing Chubb to miss the first four games of the season, as he would have if he had been put on the PUP following the start of camp.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson Continues Gradual Return from Injury
AUGUST 2 - BROWNS SIGN STEELERS EX— As the Cleveland Browns finish up their first full week of training camp, they announced the re-signing of a former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker.
As first reported by the team’s official website, the Browns signed second-year linebacker Caleb Johnson. Meanwhile, they placed linebacker Charlie Thomas III on the reserve/injured.
Johnson spent the offseason with the Browns after signing a futures contract with the team following his rookie season. He also spent time with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Steelers last year. However, despite being with three teams, he never made his NFL debut, as he spent all of last year on those teams' respective practice squads.
After spending the offseason with the Browns, Johnson was released in late July before now being re-signed.
AUGUST 1 - GOLDEN - While training camp is already well underway for the Pittsburgh Steelers , that hasn't stopped them from looking to add to their roster. In fact, they continue to add to their 90-man roster, as just a day after signing Tarik Black, they've re-signed veteran outside linebacker Markus Golden.
As first reported by the team's website , Golden has been brought back on a one-year deal to return to the Steelers after last season. In 16 games last season, Golden totaled 20 tackles, six for a loss, and four sacks.
Now, as he is set to return to Pittsburgh, he is projected to be more of a depth piece this coming season, as both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith will be their starters off the edge, while Nick Herbig is seemingly next in line to see the field as their deputy.
AUGUST 1 - As EA Sports continues to promote the upcoming release of their Madden 25 video game, they are releasing their player overall ratings. One of the latest positions to have their top-rated players list revealed was outside linebackers, where Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt was unsurprisingly atop the list.
Unlike his Cleveland Browns counterpart, Myles Garrett, Watt is the highest-rated player at his position, at 97 overall. This makes him six overalls better than the next highest-rated outside linebacker, Josh Allen, who earned a 91 from Madden.
There will certainly be no argument against having Watt ranked as the best player in his position. Even while Garrett is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner, there is an argument to be made that Watt should’ve won it. Watt finished last season with a league-best 19 sacks compared to Garrett’s 14.
JULY 31 - PICKENS - Since entering the league as a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, it seems Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens is due to make at least one highlight play during training camp that goes viral on social media.
That play for this year seemingly came during Tuesday's practice, where the former Georgia Bulldogs star went one-on-one with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Despite tight coverage from the former Penn State product, Pickens reeled in a SportsCenter top-10 worthy one-handed touchdown catch.
JULY 30 BIG ARM The Pittsburgh Steelers made him a first-round pick but had had enough, seen enough, of first-round pick Kenny Pickett. So now, after a trade, it is the Philadelphia Eagles who get a look.
And they are apparently liking what they are seeing at training camp.
Per ESPN's Tim McManus, Pickett - working to earn the job as Jalen Hurts' backup - has made some precision throws, and in what the writer apparently considers a surprise, has been impressed with Pickett's big arm, too.
McManus wrote, "Pickett has been pretty solid. He has a bigger arm than I was anticipating."
JULY 30 - INJURY — As the Cleveland Browns kicked off their first full week of training camp, they received bad news: They were forced to place projected starting center Brian Allen on the injured reserve. As first reported ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi , Allen suffered a calf injury during Saturday's practice that has now seen him sidelined
Allen, the former fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers ' rival this offseason after six seasons in L.A. During those six years with the Rams, Allen started 32 of his 50 appearances and even made the Pro Bowl in 2021.
However, after an injury-plagued 2022, the veteran center was surpassed on the depth chart last season, which eventually led to his release.
With Allen's move to the injured reserve, the Browns filled his spot on the 90-man roster with the signing of now-former All-UFL offensive guard Zack Johnson.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0