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Steelers sign King, add four to practice squad

The Steelers filled out their 53-man roster by signing cornerback Desmond King II, while also adding four players to their practice squad on Thursday.

Among those signed to the practice squad are offensive tackle Kellen Diesch, receiver Simi Fehoko, the cousin of defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko who is also on the practice squad, guard Joey Fisher, and defensive back Josiah Scott.

King is entering his seventh NFL season in the NFL, spending the last two with the Houston Texans.

King was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the 151st overall selection. He was traded to the Tennessee Titans during the 2020 season and signed with the Houston Texans as an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

King, who was an Associated Press First-Team All-Pro selection in 2018 as a defensive back and punt returner, started 53 of the 95 games he played in. He has 410 career tackles, 306 of them solo stops, 27 tackles for a loss, eight and a half sacks, nine interceptions, including two returned for a touchdown, 33 passes defensed, 27 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries, one of them returned for a touchdown.

He played college ball at the University of Iowa where he won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back, in 2015 when he recorded 72 tackles and a school record eight interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

More on the practice squad signings:

Receiver Simi Fehoko: Fehoko, who is the cousin of defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko, spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Fehoko was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He played in 10 games for Dallas, pulling in three receptions for 24 yards. He was placed on the Reserve/Injured List during the 2022 season after suffering a shoulder injury. While at Stanford he was an Associated Press First-Team All-Pac 12 selection in 2020, finishing with 37 receptions for 574 yards and three touchdowns in just a six-game season.

Guard Joey Fisher: Fisher was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He was released when the 49ers got down to the 53-man roster. Fisher played at Shepherd University where he started for three seasons, while the school didn't play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a Division II First-Team All-America and All-PSAC First Team selection.

Offensive tackle Kellen Diesch: Diesch was most recently with the Chicago Bears, who released him during roster cutdowns this year. He originally signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft. He was released by the Dolphins and spent the 2022 season on the Chicago Bears practice squad. Diesch played college ball at Texas A&M, then transferred to Arizona State for two seasons.

Defensive back Josiah Scott: Scott spent the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played in 29 games, starting four. Last season he had 24 tackles, 17 of them solo stops, two tackles for a loss and two interceptions while starting four games. Scott began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted him in the fourth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His rookie season he played in six games, finishing with 11 tackles. The Jaguars traded him to the Eagles in the 2021 offseason. Scott played college football at Michigan State where he recorded 98 tackles, 32 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 30 games.

Bringing you the action: The Steelers open the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Acrisure Stadium. For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place. Start your free trial today here.

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