The Steelers signed eights players to their practice squad, all who were with the team in training camp and the preseason.
Those signed include:
Defensive Backs: Anthony Averett, Zyon Gilbert, Thomas Graham Jr.
Defensive Lineman: Jacob Slade
Fullback: Jack Colletto
Linebacker: Marcus Haynes
Running Back: Jonathan Ward
Tight End: Rodney Williams
Learn more about the practice squad signings (listed alphabetically):
Defensive back Anthony Averett: Averett, a six-year veteran, took part in the Steelers rookie minicamp on a tryout basis in the spring and was signed afterwards. Averett has appeared in 51 career games, with 27 starts. He has 114 total tackles, 99 of them solo stops, three career interceptions and 23 passes defensed. Averett was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, spending his first four seasons there. He appeared in 44 games for the Ravens, starting 21. He recorded 101 tackles, 22 passes defensed and three interceptions while in Baltimore. Averett signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, playing in seven games, with six starts. He also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers (2023) and Detroit Lions (2023).
Fullback Jack Colletto: Colletto spent part of the 2023 season on the Steelers practice squad. Colletto was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. Colletto played at Oregon State where he played in 43 games, finishing with 110 carries for 401 yards and 22 touchdowns and four receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown. The versatile Colletto also played quarterback, completing 25 of 50 passes for 254, returned kicks and played linebacker early in his career. Colletto was a Hornung Award Winner his senior season, an All-Pac-12 First Team selection (all-purpose) and an Associated Press All-Pac-12 Second Team selection (all purpose).
Defensive back Zyon Gilbert: Gilbert was signed by the Steelers during training camp. Gilbert originally signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft. He spent time on the Giants practice squad and active roster as a game-day elevation, recording 10 tackles and a sack in 2022. Gilbert was signed to the Green Bay Packers practice squad in 2023. Gilbert placed college football at Florida Atlantic where he appeared in 60 games. He finished with 248 tackles, 158 of them solo stops, 31 passes defensed, five and a half tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and one interception.
Defensive back Thomas Graham Jr.: Graham was signed to a Reserve/Future contract at the end of the 2023 season. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played in four games for the Bears, recording 13 tackles and four passes defensed. He also spent time on the Bears practice squad. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns off the Bears practice squad early in the 2022 season. He played at the University of Oregon where he finished his career with 182 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, eight interceptions, 40 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Linebacker Marcus Haynes: Haynes was signed by the Steelers following training camp. Haynes originally signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He spent part of the season on the Broncos practice squad. He also spent time with the Cleveland Browns during training camp. Haynes played college football at Old Dominion where he appeared in 49 games, starting 21. He recorded 102 tackles, 55 of them solo stops, 22 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks, five passes defensed and four forced fumbles.
Defensive lineman Jacob Slade: Slade was signed to a Reserve/Future contract at the end of the 2023 season. Slade spent time on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad after he was originally signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He played college ball at Michigan State where he recorded 88 tackles, including 11.5 for a loss, four sacks, four passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
Running back Jonathan Ward: Ward took part in the Steelers rookie minicamp on a tryout basis and was signed following it. In four seasons, he has played in 43 games, carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards, a 4.1-yard average. He also has six receptions for 52 yards, an 8.7-yard average, and one touchdown. Ward originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent two plus seasons with the Cardinals, before joining the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 season. He also spent the 2023 season with the Titans. Ward played college football at Central Michigan where he played in 42 games, carrying the ball 473 times for 2,539 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also had 98 receptions for 909 yards and four touchdowns.
Tight end Rodney Williams: Williams spent the majority of the last two seasons on the Steelers practice squad. He was originally signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft but released during the preseason. Williams played college ball at Tennessee-Martin, where he played in 53 games, starting 26. He finished with 99 receptions for 1,217 yards and seven touchdowns, finishing his career ranked ninth in school history in receptions.
