The Pittsburgh Steelers added three more players to their practice squad Tuesday, including a former New England Patriots linebacker.
The Steelers announced Tuesday afternoon they signed defensive back Car’lin Vigers, wide receiver Brandon Johnson and linebacker Bradyn Swinson to their practice squad.
With the additions, Pittsburgh has 16 players on the practice squad. That’s the maximum. But the Steelers are permitted an extra practice squad player because linebacker Julius Welschof has an international player exemption.
New England selected Swinson in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The No. 146 overall pick in the class, Swinson appeared in three regular season games and a playoff contest for the Patriots last season.
“He spent part of the 2025 season on the Patriots practice squad before being activated to the 53-man roster,” Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley wrote. “He appeared in three games for the Patriots, seeing action on defense and special teams.”
Like Swinson, Vigers is new to the Steelers. The defensive back spent time with the Washington Commanders practice squad as an undrafted rookie last year.
Johnson is back for his third season with the Steelers practice squad. The receiver played in three games for Pittsburgh during the 2024 campaign.
Steelers Sign 3 More Practice Squad Players, Including Bradyn Swinson
The Steelers made their initial practice squad signings Monday with 13 players. The team added seven on offense and six on defense with those acquisitions, many of which were players who spent the summer in Pittsburgh.
Swinson, though, will be completely new to the team.
The linebacker made his NFL debut for the Patriots during Week 12 last season. Swinson joined New England’s active roster from the practice squad in the middle of November.
In his debut, Swinson played 10 special teams snaps. He didn’t get any time on defense. His second regular season appearance didn’t come until Week 17. But in that contest, Swinson played 26 defensive snaps.
Swinson also appeared on the field in Week 18 and during the AFC championship game. Against the Denver Broncos in the playoffs, the linebacker played nine special teams snaps.
During his college career, Swinson played three seasons at Oregon and two at LSU. In his final season with the Tigers, he posted 58 combined tackles, including 13 for loss, with 8.5 sacks, three pass defenses and two forced fumbles.
Including Welschof, the Steelers now have three linebackers on their practice squad with the addition to Swinson.
WR Brandon Johnson Returns to Steelers
In Johnson, the Steelers have added a third wideout to their practice squad. The team signed Max Hurleman and Brandon Smith to the squad Monday.
Johnson began his career as an undrafted free agent for the Denver Broncos. With the Broncos in 2023, he had 19 catches for 284 yards and four touchdowns in 13 contests.
Denver cut Johnson, though, after the 2024 preseason. He quickly landed a role on the Steelers practice squad and has routinely come back to the team since then.
Granted, he spent 2026 training camp with the Las Vegas Raiders. Johnson was also briefly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos practice squads last season.
But Johnson is back with the Steelers for a fourth stint. His most recent stint with the Steelers was for offseason workouts this past spring.
In 23 career NFL games, Johnson has posted 26 catches, 335 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Steelers Add Ex-Patriots LB in Latest Signings