With Week 1 of the 2025-26 season in the books for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they’re sitting pretty with a 1-0 record. General manager Omar Khan is far from finished in regards to the work he’s doing, though.
As another week of work kicks off, Pittsburgh is shaking things up at wide receiver. In a Monday afternoon announcement from the team, Lance McCutcheon is being replaced by new pickup Rakim Jarrett on the practice squad.
The move appears on the NFL’s daily personnel notice and transaction wire for Monday.
Steelers Add WR Rakim Jarrett Ahead of Week 2 Game
This marks the second career stop for Jarrett, who has been with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dating back to 2023. Originally signing as an undrafted free agent, the former Maryland standout played in 20 regular-season contests for Tampa Bay.
In those outings, Jarrett was targeted 20 times. Hauling in 13 passes, he amassed 184 receiving yards and picked up six first downs on offense. After posting a 33.3% success rate as a rookie, the 2024-25 campaign saw that figure spike to 72.7%. Jarrett’s offensive workload also jumped from 115 snaps (18%) to 210 snaps (31%). It coincided with a decreased special teams workload (111 snaps to 50).
Following the NFL Draft selection of Emeka Egbuka, the Tampa Bay wideout room became crowded. Jarrett found himself on the outside looking in. That’s despite appearing in all three of the club’s preseason games and recording 2 catches for 26 yards. Jarrett was waived by the Buccaneers on August 25.
In three collegiate seasons at Maryland, Jarrett racked up 1,552 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. His sophomore campaign in 2021, a 62-catch effort, built him some draft stock. Despite that (and despite some great pre-draft athletic testing), he wound up being a priority free agent.
Now, Jarrett gets a fresh start with a new organization. The Steelers got a brief glance at him during a joint practice with the Buccaneers in August.
Lance McCutcheon’s Time in Pittsburgh Comes to Another End
The Jarrett signing comes at the expense of McCutcheon, who was brought back when Robert Woods got released earlier in September.
Unfortunately for McCutcheon, he can’t seem to latch on with the Steelers on a more permanent basis. The former undrafted free agent has 10 regular-season games of experience under his belt, all with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022-23. Since then, he’s spent time with the Houston Texans and New York Jets before joining Pittsburgh in 2024. The former Montana State standout has 5 career targets but no receptions.
During the 2025 preseason, McCutcheon hauled in 5 passes for 66 yards and a score. Although he looked solid and produced, he was unable to make it through cutdowns to the 53-man roster.
With McCutcheon out of the picture, the Steelers will move forward with what they have. That wideout room includes DK Metcalf leading the way. He’s complemented by players like Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Reliable veterans Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek round things out.
As September rolls on, McCutcheon will go looking for another home. The Steelers are opting for some new blood as organizational depth ahead of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Steelers Shuffle WR Picture With Week 2 Signing