The Pittsburgh Steelers signed their 22nd player to a reserve/future contract this week. The latest addition, though, was the first player the Steelers inked to a deal under new head coach Mike McCarthy.
The Steelers announced Thursday the team signed wide receiver A.T. Perry to a reserve/future contract.
Perry has played in 10 NFL games during his career. He started three of those contests. Perry posted 12 catches for 246 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
The receiver played all of those games in 2023.
The Perry signing was the first roster addition for the Steelers under McCarthy. It was Pittsburgh’s first futures signing since the team added tight end J.J. Galbreath on January 23.
Mike McCarthy’s Steelers Sign WR A.T. Perry to Reserve Deal
Other than quarterback, upgrading wide receivers should be one of McCarthy’s top objectives in his first offseason as Steelers head coach. Perry is now the fourth receiver the team has signed to a reserve deal.
McCarthy and the Steelers need to do a lot more at wideout than just add players on futures contracts. But it’s a start.
Perry will come to Pittsburgh with some experience, which isn’t the case with most players on reserve deals. Although he hasn’t played in the regular season the past two years, Perry even has starting experience.
In college, Perry starred at Wake Forest. He posted a pair of 1,000-yard and 10-plus touchdown campaigns for the Demon Deacons in 2021 and 2022.
Perry averaged 18.2 yards per catch on his way to 1,293 receiving yards during 2021. He also had 15 touchdowns.
In 2022, he registered 81 catches for 1,096 receiving yards with 11 scores.
Interestingly, McCarthy’s first coaching staff change and roster addition in Pittsburgh this week both addressed receiver. The Steelers hired Adam Henry as their new wide receivers coach on Wednesday.
That was the first announced coaching addition to McCarthy’s staff.
The Steelers began addressing their wide receiver depth on January 14. On that day, the team inked receivers Cole Burgess and Max Hurleman to futures deals.
One day later, the Steelers also signed receiver Brandon Smith to a reserve contract.
Steelers Offseason Roster Additions
As previously explained, the Steelers didn’t wait to hire McCarthy to begin adding players to the offseason roster.
Including Burgess and Hurleman, the team signed 13 players to reserve deals on January 14. The other signings included quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, long snapper Cal Adomitis, defensive tackle Kyler Baugh, defensive back Daequan Hardy, defensive back Jack Henderson, offensive guard Steven Jones, running back Lew Nichols, linebacker Julius Welschof and offensive tackle Aiden Williams to deals.
In addition to Perry and Galbreath, the Steelers have also signed offensive lineman Doug Nester, defensive back D’Shawn Jamison, offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea, defensive back Doneiko Slaughter, offensive lineman Lorenzo Thompson and Jahvaree Ritzie this offseason.
According to Spotrac, the Steelers have 21 unrestricted free agents this offseason. Of those 21, four are wide receivers — Calvin Austin III, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Scotty Miller and Adam Thielen.
Of that group, Austin is probably the most likely to return on a new deal. Austin posted the second-most receiving yards for the Steelers last season.
However, McCarthy’s new team could use a shakeup in the receiver room. Austin ranked second among Steelers wideouts with only 372 yards in 14 games.
Steelers Make First Roster Addition of Mike McCarthy Era