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The NFL career of former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver/kick returner Ryan Switzer hasn’t been the same since July 2020, when he boasted that he was poised to become “one of the best slot receivers in the NFL’ — the next Julian Edelman, if you will, or the next Cole Beasley. He went on to earn rave reviews in Steelers training camp that summer. Nevertheless, he failed to make the 53-man roster, becoming expendable following the addition of wide receiver/kick returner Ray-Ray McCloud, who was first signed by the Steelers in August 2020.
Switzer, 27, hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since, but perhaps he’ll get an opportunity to catch on with a team this year, maybe even the Carolina Panthers, who had him in for tryout on April 19, as per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.
Not long after getting released by the Steelers in September 2020, Switzer got himself a tryout with Cleveland, which went on to sign him to its practice squad. In January 2021 the Browns brought him back on a one-year Future/Reserve contract, but he spent last season on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury during the preseason.
In the midst of it all, he experienced challenging circumstances off the field. In March 2021 he revealed that his son had tested positive for COVID-19, and that the infant was also battling a mysterious bleeding condition, one that was successfully treated with surgery, which was performed in Boston.
If Switzer earns the chance to play in the NFL again, he’ll be building on a career that has seen him appear in 41 games since he was a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. Thus far, he has caught a total of 50 passes for 321 yards and one touchdown. He has also returned 63 kickoffs for 1,373 yards (21.8 yards per return), plus 67 punts for 537 yards and a touchdown.
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Steelers LB Marcus Allen Signs a One-Year Contract
In other news from April 19, the Steelers announced that linebacker Marcus Allen has signed his one-year tender as a restricted free agent.
The former fifth-round pick (2018) is scheduled to earn $2.54 million this season, as per overthecap.com. Thus far in his career he has appeared in 33 games (three starts) and has been credited with 45 tackles (26 solo), as per Pro Football Reference.
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Steelers Hire David Corley as Assistant Quarterbacks Coach
On Tuesday the Steelers also announced that they have hired an assistant quarterbacks coach, perhaps further indication that the team is poised to select a QB in next week’s NFL Draft.
According to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, David Corley comes from the University of Richmond, where he served as the Spiders’ running backs coach in 2021. Prior to that he was the running backs coach at South Carolina State (2020), the receivers coach at Penn State (2018), and the receivers coach at Army in 2017.
Between 2014-16, Corley worked with the running backs and receivers at the University of Connecticut, and served as the offensive coordinator in 2016.
Corley shares the same alma mater as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, that being William & Mary, where he coached between 2008-13 and played quarterback between 1999-2002.
He’ll be working with quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to assist in the preparation and further development of free agent acquisition Mitch Trubisky, as well as veteran backup Mason Rudolph.
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