Steelers add former Tampa Bay, Atlanta WR Scotty Miller to crowded position group

Adding a potential option to play in the slot this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a one-year contract Wednesday with wide receiver Scotty Miller, a league source confirmed to TribLive.

Miller, 26, is the fifth player from the Atlanta Falcons to follow new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to the Steelers. The others are veterans Van Jefferson, Cordarrelle Patterson and MyCole Pruitt and first-year receiver Keilahn Harris, who signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers after spending part of the 2023 season on Atlanta’s practice squad when Smith was the Falcons head coach.

The 5-foot-9, 174-pound Miller is a former sixth-round pick who spent his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His best season was in 2020 when he caught 33 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns.

Last season in Atlanta, Miller caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two scores.

Miller joins a handful of players added at wide receiver since the end of the 2023 season. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III, each entering their third season, are the only holdovers from the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Since then, the Steelers traded their most tenured receiver, Diontae Johnson, to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson. Unable to trade for or sign a big-name player, the Steelers have added depth pieces such as Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Miller. Patterson, one of the NFL’s top kickoff returners, also has wide receiver experience but recently has played running back.

Watkins had 25 career starts in four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his most productive season was in 2021 when he caught 43 passes for 647 yards. Jefferson, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, has 35 career starts. He split last season between Los Angeles and Atlanta. In 2021, he caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns.

Joining them on the roster will be third-round pick Roman Wilson of Michigan, who could step into the lineup as a rookie. Wilson will be among the players attending the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

The Steelers have five receivers on the 90-man offseason roster who were signed to reserve/futures contracts, including Harris. The others are Marquez Callaway, Dez Fitzpatrick, Denzel Mims and Duece Watts. Callaway, Mims and Fitzpatrick bring varying levels of NFL experience but lack consistent starting experience. Callaway has 17 career starts and Mims 15.

The Steelers have been mentioned in trade discussions involving the San Francisco 49ers, who reportedly have been trying to deal either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. The Steelers also have surfaced in talks surrounding receiver Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos.

One option with local ties remained a free agent until earlier this week when former Clairton and Pitt standout Tyler Boyd signed with the Tennessee Titans.