The Pittsburgh Steelers made another roster move involving defensive back Doneiko Slaughter on Monday.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Steelers waived Slaughter from their 53-man roster. The team also announced the move Monday evening.
The Steelers cut ties with Slaughter as part of several roster changes Monday. Additionally, the Steelers signed cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad to their active roster. They also added linebacker Marte Mapu to the practice squad and placed defensive lineman Derrick Harmon on injured reserve.
Pittsburgh appears to have one spot remaining on its active roster. That, though, could be reserved for safety DeShon Elliott, who might be ready to return from injured reserve for Week 5.
Slaughter spent just five days on the Steelers active roster. The team added the second-year defensive back after trading cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys late Wednesday.
Slaughter, though, has appeared in all four games for the Steelers this season. In the first three, the team promoted the 24-year-old to the game day roster as a practice squad elevation.
In four games, Slaughter has registered two combined tackles. He can play a variety of roles in the secondary and on special teams. Slaughter has played 26 special teams snaps in the 2026 regular season.
Slaughter didn’t receive a chance to play on defense in the first four games with the Steelers. But he displayed his versatility throughout his first preseason in Pittsburgh this past August.
“Slaughter played both inside and outside cornerback for the Steelers this preseason, and also worked on multiple phases of special teams: kickoff coverage, punt coverage, punt return and field goal block,” wrote Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders.
Steelers Waive DB Doneiko Slaughter
The defensive back began his career as an undrafted free agent for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent 2025 training camp with Jacksonville but didn’t make the Jaguars roster.
After not playing for a team during the regular season, Slaughter joined the Steelers on a reserve/futures contract in January. He spent the entire offseason with Pittsburgh.
Again, he didn’t make the team’s roster out of training camp, but the Steelers signed Slaughter to their practice squad. He’s played about as big of a role as one can from the practice squad this season, as he’s appeared in every game through four weeks.
That likely makes Slaughter a prime candidate to return to Pittsburgh on the team’s practice squad.
Per NFL practice squad rules, teams are permitted to elevate players to the game day roster only three times per season. However, that limit resets with each new practice squad stint.
So, if the Steelers were to sign Slaughter to their practice squad later this week or this season, they could promote him as a practice squad elevation again.
The Steelers have the maximum 16 players on their practice squad as of Tuesday morning. But linebacker Julius Welschof holds a roster exemption as part of the NFL’s international pathway program. So, the Steelers have an opening for Slaughter, or a different player, on their practice squad.
Steelers Part Ways With Versatile Defensive Back