Steelers Bring Back Edge Rusher Days After Release, Sign Undrafted Rookie

Edge rusher Ade Ogundeji is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers announced on October 16 that they signed Ogundeji to their practice squad. The move came two days after the team released Ogundeji from the 53-man active roster.

It’s been an eventful few days for the 26-year-old edge rusher. The Steelers signed Ogundeji from their practice squad to the active roster ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ogundeji joined a Pittsburgh roster before Week 6 that was missing Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. The Steelers also placed defensive end DeMarvin Leal on injured reserve on October 12.

Ogundeji played 16 defensive snaps, posting 1 pass defense with zero tackles.

A day after the game, the Steelers released the veteran edge rusher. But with his return to the team, Ogundeji is a candidate for a practice squad elevation in Week 7.

In addition to Ogundeji, the Steelers signed linebacker Craig Young to their practice squad on October 16. Young went unselected in the 2024 NFL draft.

He spent training camp with the Indianapolis Colts. But the Colts waived Young as part of their final roster cuts ahead of the regular season.

Ade Ogundeji Returns to Steelers Practice Squad

It’s not surprising that the Steelers found a way to bring Ogundeji back into the fold. While he didn’t stand out in his Pittsburgh debut on October 13, he played well enough to remain on the team in some capacity.

The Steelers are also still dealing with injuries at edge rusher. During his press conference on October 15, head coach Mike Tomlin ruled out Herbig for Week 7 versus the New York Jets.

Tomlin expressed more optimism around Highsmith playing against New York, but Ogundeji could still be a weekend addition to the game day roster for extra depth.

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Ogundeji began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft for the Atlanta Falcons. He started 27 games for Atlanta from 2021-22.

Prior to Week 6 this season, he hadn’t played in an NFL regular season game since Week 18 of the 2022 campaign.

In 33 career NFL games, Ogundeji has posted 75 combined tackles, including 8 tackles for loss. He’s also recorded 3 sacks and 3 quarterback hits.

He registered a 63.8 player grade (out of 100) from Pro Football Focus during Week 6.

Steelers Sign Linebacker Craig Young

In addition to bringing back Ogundeji, the Steelers signed Young to their practice squad on October 16.

Young committed to Ohio State as a 3-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. But after three seasons with the Buckeyes, Young transferred to one of his other original final college choices in Kansas.

With the Jayhawks, he became a star, posting 101 combined tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and 6 sacks in 25 games from 2022-23.

Young is now one of four linebackers the Steelers have on their practice squad. However, the team does not differentiate between inside and outside linebackers on their official practice squad roster.

Other than Young and Ogundeji, Pittsburgh’s other two practice squad linebackers are Devin Harper and Eku Leota.

The Steelers also had linebacker Jacoby Windmon on their practice squad until October 15. KPRC2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that the Carolina Panthers poached Windmon off the Steelers practice squad.