The Pittsburgh Steelers were dealing with injuries at multiple positions entering this weekend. With that in mind, they hosted eight players for tryouts a day after their Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Arguably the most notable of which was former Jacksonville Jaguars starting linebacker Chad Muma.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Steelers hosted Muma and linebacker Marte Mapu at their Friday tryouts. Additionally, on defense, defensive back Miles Battle was at the tryout.
On offense, the Steelers worked out centers James Brockermeyer and Gus Hartwig, tackles Andrew Coker and Tomas Rimac and running back Terrell Jennings.
The Jaguars selected Muma in the third round at No. 70 overall of the 2022 NFL Draft. He started seven contests for the Jaguars over three seasons.
Last year, Muma played for the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. The linebacker has been a free agent since the Patriots released him at the August roster deadline.
The Steelers will have a few extra days to contemplate signing any of those eight players. The team is on the mini-bye after facing the Browns on Thursday night. Cleveland defeated Pittsburgh 27-24.
Steelers Host LB Chad Muma at Tryouts
Muma was the fourth inside linebacker off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. Interestingly, Muma was also the second linebacker to land with the Jaguars in that class. Jacksonville picked Devin Lloyd in the first round of the 2022 draft.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein saw Muma as one of the top linebackers in his draft class. However, Zierlein saw issues in Muma’s game that could arise.
“A high-cut linebacker, Muma has a nose for the football but his methodology for getting there will need an upgrade to earn NFL playing time,” wrote Zierlein. “He falls prey to false steps and wasted motion at times. He has a see-ball, get-ball mentality and hunts runners with good build-up speed and an aggressive demeanor. Patience and leverage are below average when fitting up inside runs and flowing to outside runs.”
Muma earned some starts over his three seasons in Jacksonville. As a rookie, he started twice. He also started twice in 2023 and three games during the 2024 campaign.
But the Jaguars waived Muma before the NFL’s roster deadline in 2025. At the time, head coach Liam Coen and his staff were entering their first season in Jacksonville. The Indianapolis Colts claimed Muma off waivers for their practice squad. The linebacker made five appearances for the Colts, bouncing back and forth from the active roster and practice squad.
The Patriots poached Muma for their active roster in December. Overall, he played 56 defensive snaps and 114 snaps on special teams during the 2025 campaign. He registered nine combined tackles.
Over three seasons with the Jaguars, Muma had 94 combined tackles, including three for loss. In 50 games, he also had 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and three pass defenses.
Steelers Host Eight Players at Tryouts
The Steelers were very busy looking at new potential players Friday. In addition to Muma, they also could be considering the addition of another third-round linebacker in Mapu.
The New England Patriots picked Mapu at No. 76 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. In three seasons with the Patriots, Mapu started 10 games, including nine during the 2024 campaign. He had 46 combined tackles with six pass defenses and an interception in 2024.
Interestingly, linebacker is not a position where the Steelers have injuries. Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb and Carson Bruener are all healthy.
But Queen received criticism on social media for his effort in the loss versus the Browns. Although Muma and Mapu aren’t candidates to replace Queen, perhaps the Steelers want to shake things up in the middle of their defense.
The Steelers could sign any of the offensive linemen from Friday’s tryouts as injury replacements. Rookie guard Gennings Dunker landed on injured reserve a week ago, and fellow guard Spencer Anderson reportedly has a chipped bone in his leg.
At running back, the Steelers haven’t had Rico Dowdle the past two games. In the defensive backfield, Jamel Dean was banged up Thursday night, and the team just traded Joey Porter Jr. for draft capital to the Dallas Cowboys.
Steelers Eyeing Former Jaguars Starting Linebacker