The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted eight players for tryouts entering this past weekend. On Monday, the Steelers officially added one of those players.
NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported the Steelers signed veteran linebacker Marte Mapu to their practice squad.
“Steelers signing veteran linebacker Marte Mapu to the practice squad today, per a league source,” wrote Wilson on X.
Mapu began his career as the No. 76 overall pick during the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots. Over three seasons in New England, the linebacker started 10 games.
In April, the Patriots traded Mapu to the Houston Texans, who waived him with an injury designation before Week 1 this season.
Over 44 NFL games, Mapu has posted 89 combined tackles.
Steelers Sign LB Marte Mapu to Practice Squad
The Steelers had an open practice squad spot because of the Joey Porter Jr. trade. After dealing Porter to the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers signed defensive back Doneiko Slaughter from the practice squad to the active roster.
Mapu will now take Slaughter’s previous spot on the practice squad.
The former Patriots third-rounder was one of two linebackers to work out for the Steelers on Friday. The Steelers also hosted former Jacksonville Jaguars third-round linebacker Chad Muma at the tryout.
Entering Week 5, the Steelers are dealing with injuries along the offensive line, defensive line, at running back and in the secondary. With that in mind, Mike McCarthy’s club hosted offensive linemen, running backs and defensive backs at the tryout.
But interestingly, the Steelers chose to fill the practice squad spot with one of the two linebackers. Mapu will join Bradyn Swinson, Julius Welschof and Jacoby Windmon as the linebackers on the Pittsburgh practice squad.
The Steelers linebackers received significant criticism for their play in the team’s last game, a 27-24 loss against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday. In particular, multiple pundits and former Steelers players put veteran Patrick Queen on blast for a lack of effort.
Fellow linebackers Payton Wilson and Cole Holcomb also didn’t play very well. Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney wrote the team overall missed 17 tackles versus the Browns, six of which were from Queen, Wilson and Holcomb.
What Mapu Could Bring for Steelers
With the subpar play from the Steelers linebacker Thursday night, the team appears to be contemplating some tweaks.
Nothing major will change. Queen, Wilson and Holcomb are still the team’s top three options at inside linebacker.
But Mapu’s arrival gives the Steelers another option. The team could elevate the former Patriots linebacker from the practice squad for extra depth or a fourth choice on game days.
Mapu has some starting experience. He started nine of 10 contests for New England during the 2024 campaign. In that season, he registered 46 combined tackles with six pass defenses and three forced fumbles.
In addition to his 89 career combined tackles, Mapu has forced five fumbles and intercepted three passes. He’s also registered 12 pass defenses and 0.5 sacks.
Steelers Add Former Patriots 3rd-Round Linebacker: Report