With Melvin Ingram out, Steelers call up former 1st-round pick Taco Charlton

Chris Adamski
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 4:15 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 4:15 p.m.

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (8) looks on with teammate Taco Charlton during the team’s most recent game Oct. 17. The Steelers on Saturday announced Ingram would not play Sunday at the Cleveland Browns and that Charlton would be called up from the practice squad to take his place.

It’s Taco time for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

With Melvin Ingram III ruled out from playing in Sunday’s game in Cleveland because of a groin injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers called up former NFL first-round pick Taco Charlton to serve as their primary backup at outside linebacker against the Browns.

A former All-Big Ten performer at Michigan, Charlton is poised to appear in a regular-season game for a fourth NFL team in five seasons. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Charlton plays the same position and was selected two spots ahead of T.J. Watt in the 2017 NFL draft. Charlton went 28th to the Dallas Cowboys but has been released by a team each of the past three years.

The Steelers signed Charlton to their practice squad Sept. 21.

Ingram reportedly is displeased with his role as the Steelers’ No. 3 outside linebacker and “wants out of Pittsburgh,” according to the NFL Network. Coach Mike Tomlin on Friday said Ingram’s absence from practice that day was because of injury and not a display of unhappiness with the team.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says linebacker Melvin Ingram's absence from Friday’s practice is not related to reports he wants a trade. https://t.co/rZqFdDSaqR

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 29, 2021

In 44 career games (12 starts), Charlton has 11 sacks, 74 tackles, four forced fumbles and 20 QB hits. He finished last season on the injured reserve list of the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.

After starters Watt and Alex Highsmith, Derrek Tuszka is the only healthy outside linebacker on the 53-man roster. Tuszka has played 37 snaps on defense and 34 on special teams over four games for the Steelers this season. On Friday, Tomlin said Tuszka has “primarily been a special teams guy, and I don’t expect that to change this weekend.”

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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.