There was news of a Pittsburgh Steelers signing late Friday night on October 10, just two days before the Week 6 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, and there might be a bit of gamesmanship involved in this move.
“The Steelers are signing former Browns DE K.J. Henry to their practice squad,” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on X. Adding: “Henry had a brief stop with the [Philadelphia] Eagles over the past week and now joins the other PA team after a workout earlier this week.”
Although Henry has never suited up in a game for the Browns, it’s notable that he spent the entire summer with them learning their playbook and defensive system.
The veteran defensive end joined the Browns in July, just before the start of training camp, and was released from their practice squad on September 23, according to Pro Football Reference. So, it’s a safe bet that head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers coaching staff will pick his brain before Sunday.
Henry first entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2023. He appeared in a total of 10 games with the Commanders, starting 3 of them, but failed to make the 53-man roster during his second training camp.
The AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals claimed Henry off waivers in 2024 after he was cut by Washington. He didn’t last too long in Cincy, however, and ended up with the Dallas Cowboys next.
Henry registered 1.0 sacks in Dallas, to go along with his 1.5 sacks in Washington. He’s also logged 5 career tackles for a loss, 22 total tackles, and 2 pass breakups.
Steelers Prepping for Physical Browns Rookie Running Back
Henry was with the Browns long enough to see rookie running back Quinshon Judkins finally take the field in September after a long off-field dispute and contract situation.
Perhaps, he can give his new Steelers teammates a heads-up on what it’s like to go against Judkins, although Tomlin is already prepping for a physical test.
“He finishes off his runs with violence,” Tomlin told the media this week. “He’s underrated in terms of his ability to bounce it to the perimeter and pop long ones. … He’s the type of guy that can wear a defensive unit down.”
Similarly, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin had good things to say when speaking with reporters.
“[Judkins] is a powerful guy,” Austin noted. “He’ll run right through tackles and arm tackles. He is not afraid to challenge guys. If you’re coming at him, you better put your big boy pads on because — if not — he’s gonna run right through you. And if you’re messing around, he’ll run right around you. … The combination of his power, his ability to get out there and I think he really does have good vision. You watch him, he finds these holes and he gets through them.”
If the Steelers have success slowing down Judkins, they should be able to limit the Cleveland offense as a whole.
Steelers Must Take Care of Business in Week 6 & Week 7
The AFC North might be the worst division in football right now, at least until Lamar Jackson returns from injury. It’s the Steelers’ job to take advantage of that and stack divisional wins while they can.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh doesn’t play Baltimore anytime soon, but they do face the Browns and Cincinnati Bengals the next two weeks.
If the Steelers can take care of business against a rookie quarterback in Week 6 and a Joe Flacco-led Bengals team in Week 7, they should be able to build themselves a big lead in the division.
There’s a long way to go, but it’s never too early to try and bring home a division title.
Steelers Sign Recent Browns Cut Days Before Week 6 Matchup