Steelers bring back former WVU safety, 1st-round pick Karl Joseph
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Thursday that they were bringing back one of their safeties. Not their former starter, though, who remains a free agent.
Former West Virginia safety and NFL first-round pick Karl Joseph was brought back on a one-year deal. Joseph, 28, appeared in two games for the Steelers last season, spending most of it on the practice squad.
The No. 14 overall pick by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2016, Joseph played four seasons for that franchise before signing with the Cleveland Browns in 2020 and the Steelers last season. He played just 17 defensive snaps and 14 on special teams.
The lone remaining hole in the Steelers’ projected starting lineup is at strong safety, where four-year starter Terrell Edmunds remains unsigned after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
Joseph isn’t looked at as a starter, but the Steelers could view him as veteran depth.
Joseph was a four-year starter at WVU who had five interceptions in four games his senior season before suffering a knee injury.
Also Thursday, the Steelers made official the previously reported signing of linebacker Genard Avery to a one-year contract. Avery played the past 2½ seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, starting 12 games in 2021. He began his career with the Cleveland Browns.
Avery is expected to be a primary backup for edge defenders T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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