The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Tuesday that five players had signed reserve/future contracts, continuing their offseason roster replenishment.
The three newcomers are cornerbacks. All five of them were members of the Steelers practice squad for at least a portion of the previous season:
David Perales, an outside linebacker, was signed as an undrafted rookie free agency shortly after the draft and played mostly on the practice squad for the whole season. Perales finished 33 FBS games with 22 ½ sacks for Fresno State.
Cornerback Kalon Barnes spent 11 September days as part of the Steelers, one of six organizations he’s been with since being a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He dressed for two regular-season games as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings.
Cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. has 11 games (one start) of NFL regular-season experience since he was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2021 but did not appear in any games last season. He most recently was on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns.
When inside linebacker Tyler Murray of the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed to have left his shift at an Amazon warehouse to accept a contract offer to join their practice squad, it made for a compelling tale in November. But six days later, he was cut.
Cornerback Just before the regular season started, versatile four-year NFL veteran Josiah Scott was signed to the Steelers practice squad. However, Scott was placed on the practice squad’s injured list and went on to play four games for the Philadelphia Eagles during the midseason. Over the previous four seasons, he has appeared in 39 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Eagles.
Teams can hold a maximum of 90 players on their offseason rosters and throughout the preseason.
S&C coach departs
The Steelers and head strength and conditioning coach Marcel Pastoor have parted ways, according to a social-media post from Pastoor. Pastoor had been with the organization for 23 years. Pastoor was an assistant from 2001-21 before. His bio was no longer on the Steelers’ official website Tuesday.
Fans of the Steelers — particularly those who have attended training-camp practices at Saint Vincent — might recognize Pastoor for at times working out with players as a de facto extra quarterback for drills.
Pastoor posted on LinkedIn, saying, “I am ready for a change. I have been unbelievably gifted to work for the greatest company, greatest owners, coaches, and staff for the past 23 years.”
