Steelers swap WPIAL alumni Kevin Rader, Christian Kuntz on, off practice squad
The Pittsburgh Steelers swapped a pair of WPIAL alumni on and off their practice squad Wednesday. Former Pine-Richland tight end Kevin Rader was added to it, and former Chartiers Valley standout Christian Kuntz was released off of it.
Rader was released from the active roster Monday to make room for veteran interior offensive lineman Danny Isidora, who was signed off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad to provide reinforcement after a spate of injuries at guard.
Known as a strong blocker, Rader played at Youngstown State and has been part of the Steelers organization intermittently since January 2019. He has not appeared in a regular-season game.
“I never saw it coming,” Kevin Rader said Wednesday at training camp at Saint Vincent. “I love the fact that they wanted me. … I come back and I get to play for the team that I’ve been watching all my life. It’s an awesome experience.”https://t.co/oeqYG22pLl
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) August 15, 2019
Kuntz was a star defensive end at Duquesne but transitioned to long snapper in the pros. A starter alongside T.J. McConnell on a WPIAL championship-winning basketball team, Kuntz has spent time on the practice squads and/or offseason rosters of four NFL teams, including two stints with the Steelers.
Like many teams during this coronavirus-affected season, the Steelers took the previously atypical step of adding specialists to the expanded practice-squad rosters to serve as ready replacements in the event a player must be put on the reserve/covid-19 list. This move leaves the Steelers without a backup long snapper.
Pending the status of starter Eric Ebron, the Steelers could turn to Rader as a “call-up” candidate at tight end for Sunday’s scheduled game against the Indianapolis Colts. Vance McDonald finishedMonday’s game as the only healthy tight end in uniform after Ebron left the contest during the first half because of a shoulder injury.
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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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