Ahead of the NFL’s 53-man deadline, it appeared fourth-year wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick had done enough to win a depth role with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a solid training camp and preseason.
The Steelers went a different direction, however, cutting Fitzpatrick and keeping just five wideouts on the active roster. This led most to assume that the former Tennessee Titans draft pick would join the Pittsburgh practice squad once again, as he did in 2023.
But as the Steelers practice squad began filling up, Fitzpatrick was nowhere to be found. Finally, nearly one week after the cutdown, Fitzpatrick resurfaced with the Los Angeles Chargers on September 2.
“We’ve signed CB Shaun Wade and WR Dez Fitzpatrick to our practice squad and released WR Cornelius Johnson and OLB Andrew Farmer II,” the Chargers shared on social media.
It’s unclear if the Steelers offered Fitzpatrick a place on their practice squad in 2024, or if the 26-year-old simply elected to move on after being left off the 53 for his second-straight season in Pittsburgh.
Per Football Database, he finished the preseason with 5 receptions for 130 yards and 47 yards after the catch. He had a long 59-yard highlight against the Detroit Lions, and the Steelers also gave him a long look as one of the starting gunners on punt return coverage.
Steelers Replace Dez Fitzpatrick With Brandon Johnson & Ben Skowronek
Who knows if Fitzpatrick declined the Steelers or if Pittsburgh ditched the receiver altogether, but the team ended up replacing him on the practice squad either way. Along with the return of Quez Watkins, the Steelers added Brandon Johnson and Ben Skowronek from outside the organization.
The latter is a former core special teamer of the Los Angeles Rams that logged over 560 ST snaps from 2021 through 2023. He’s also done fairly well for himself as a wide receiver, with 575 yards and a touchdown through the air over 45 regular season appearances.
Johnson has done far less in the special teams department throughout his career with just 15 snaps in that regard. As a pass-catching option, he’s caught 25 of 44 targets for 326 yards and 5 touchdowns over 20 regular season appearances.
Although Fitzpatrick did outplay Watkins during the 2024 preseason, it’s very possible that the Steelers upgraded on both with Skowronek and Johnson. It wouldn’t be shocking if a sixth wide receiver is elevated for Week 1 with Roman Wilson working his way back from injury and a notable lack of WR depth on the roster.
Steelers Guard Isaac Seumalo Will Miss Week 1
While addressing the media on September 3, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that starting left guard Isaac Seumalo will miss Week 1 after his pectoral injury. This absence was expected, although Tomlin did provide an encouraging update on the integral blocker.
“Isaac can be described as ‘out’ this week,” the Steelers HC began. Adding: “But we did get good news regarding his pec injury. We’ll characterize this as week-to-week, and we’ll see where next week leads us. But really optimistic about his return sooner rather than later.”
The initial expectation was that Seumalo would miss one month of football action, but perhaps he can beat that timeline. Obviously, it’s a great sign that the veteran offensive lineman was not placed on the short-term injured reserve.
With Seumalo out, it appears Spencer Anderson will get the start at left guard.
The 2023 seventh rounder was listed as Seumalo’s backup on the team’s unofficial Week 1 depth chart, and Tomlin also confirmed that the plan is to roll with Anderson as the “next man up” versus the Atlanta Falcons.
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Ex-Steelers WR Dez Fitzpatrick Signs With AFC Franchise