Steelers sign 10 to reserve/future contracts, including 9 of their 16-man practice squad

Chris Adamski
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 5:14 p.m. | Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 5:14 p.m.

Shown while playing for Ohio State in 2021, running back Master Teague was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.

Nine of the players who finished the season on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16-man practice squad were formally kept in the organization for the offseason when they were signed to reserve/future contracts Tuesday.

The moves keep the players on the 90-man offseason roster.

The Steelers on Tuesday afternoon announced deals with wide receivers Cody White and Ja’Marcus Bradley, defensive backs Duke Dawson and Scott Nelson, offensive linemen William Dunkle and Ryan McCollum, linebacker Emeke Egbule, running back Jason Huntley and tight end Rodney Williams.

Additionally, Master Teague is back for a third stint in the organization. The former Ohio State running back had two separate two-week tenures as an undrafted rookie: during training camp and over Thanksgiving.

Among the seven players who finished the season on the Steelers practice squad who were not announced as signings Tuesday were four players who have appeared in regular-season games for the Steelers: running back Anthony McFarland, defensive tackle Carlos Davis, interior offensive lineman John Leglue and defensive lineman Rennel Wren.

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Wren, who appeared in 12 games for Cincinnati from 2019-21, was in uniform for the final two games of the Steelers’ season. McFarland is a 2020 fourth-round pick who has appeared in 14 games for the Steelers. Davis was a seventh-rounder in 2020 was had at least one game of experience in each season since. Leglue was the Steelers’ No. 1 left guard for the final seven games (including playoffs) of the 2021 season, but that is the entirety of his NFL experience.

Cornerback Mark Gilbert, defensive end Mike Tafua and linebacker Chapelle Russell are the other players who were on the Steelers practice squad at season’s end whose signings to futures deals were not announced Tuesday.

That perhaps could signify those players are exploring other options, or it could mean the Steelers no longer desire them as part of the organization. It’s also possible some of them sign in the coming days.

Among those who signed Tuesday, White is most familiar to Steelers fans. He has appeared in 16 regular-season games over the past two seasons, including the Nov. 28 win at the Indianapolis Colts. White is the son of Steelers’ director of pro scouting Sheldon White.

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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.