On Wednesday, August 31, the Jacksonville Jaguars waived former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jamir Jones, with the move coming less than 24 hours after Jones made Jacksonville’s 53-man roster as a backup outside linebacker.
Jones Was Working Retail When Discovered by the Steelers
Jamir Jones, 24, got his first chance in the NFL in spring 2020 when he was signed by the Houston Texans as a rookie undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame. Yet his tenure with Houston lasted just a matter of days.
As it happens, Jones was working retail in upstate New York when he got the opportunity to work out at Notre Dame’s 2021 Pro Day, which was attended by Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin. The Steelers went on to sign him, and he impressed during training camp and the preseason, enough so that he beat out rookie sixth-round pick Quincy Roche and well-traveled veteran Cassius Marsh for the fourth and final outside linebacker spot.
He went on to play 36 defensive snaps and 29 special teams snaps in Pittsburgh’s first three regular-season games, during which time he recorded three solo tackles and a quarterback hit. But the Steelers waived Jones on September 28, 2021, to make room for former Denver Broncos seventh-round pick Derrek Tuszka. It seems that Pittsburgh hoped to re-sign him to the practice squad, except the Los Angeles Rams foiled that plan by claiming him on waivers.
He made an immediate impact in his Rams debut by blocking a punt during a Thursday night game against the Seattle Seahawks — a play that went viral after Seahawks punter Michael Dickson managed to recover the ball and get off a 68-yard punt, hence the “double punt” block.
All together, Jones played in 15 games last year, with one start. He was credited with 10 tackles and a pair of quarterback hits.
Recall that he was one of two Jones brothers who spent time with the Steelers in 2021, with his brother — offensive tackle Jarron Jones — having spent the entire 2020 season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad. That year, their father Matthew spent 47 days in the hospital and endured a nine-month battle with COVID-19 that nearly ended his life.
Former Steelers Kicker Matthew Wright Snubbed
In other news, the Carolina Panthers have signed ex-Jets and Bears placekicker Eddie Piñeiro to a one-year contract. Former Steelers kicker Matthew Wright was one of five placekickers who tried out for the job earlier this week.
In 2021, Wright kicked in 14 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars and converted 21 of 24 field goals and 13 of 15 extra points. He was the hero in Jacksonville’s 23-20 win over the Miami Dolphins in London last October, a game that ended Jacksonville’s 20-game losing streak.
During the three games in which he filled in for Chris Boswell in 2020, Wright made 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 7-of-7 extra points but his touchback percentage on kickoffs was a woeful 6.7%.
2022 Practice Squad Signings
Meanwhile, reports are coming in about which recently released Steelers players are coming back to the team via the practice squad.
Running back Anthony McFarland Jr. is said to be joining Pittsburgh’s practice squad, as per agent Dan Saffron.
Anthony Mcfarland Jr. signing back to the Steelers Practice Squad
And offensive lineman Ryan McCollum is doing likewise, according to agent Scott Casterline.
Congratulations to former @AggieFootball Ryan McCollum (@Ryan_McCollum77) on signing to the Pittsburgh @steelers Practice Squad‼️#WeAreTeamSports
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Ex-Steelers Linebacker Waived by Jaguars Hours After Making 53-Man Roster