Billie Weiss/Getty Images Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens runs against John Simon of the New England Patriots on November 15, 2020.
On January 27 the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the signing of veteran edge rusher John Simon to a Reserve/Futures contract, the latest in a parade of deals that have been negotiated since the team’s season came to an end.
We have signed LB John Simon to a Reserve/Future contract. @BordasLaw
As for Simon, the Steelers initially added him to the practice squad on December 13, 2021, and he went on to appear in one game—playing 11 snaps on defense at Kansas City on December 26.
Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Simon spent most of the 2021 campaign on Tennessee’s practice squad, but he played in two games for the Titans, recording six total tackles and one quarterback hit.
Simon is a former fourth-round pick of the Ravens
John Simon has been in the NFL since 2013, when the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round (No. 129 overall) out of Ohio State. He played one year in Baltimore before spending three seasons with the Houston Texans (2014-16), another with the Indianapolis Colts (2017), and then three years with the New England Patriots (2018-20).
Despite the fact that he has 52 career starts to his name, Simon will be competing with the likes of Derrek Tuszka and Delontae Scott for a job as a backup, as the Steelers are already set with 2021 Defensive Player of the Year favorite T.J. Watt and rising third-year player Alex Highsmith as the starters.
According to Pro Football Reference, Simon has played in 100 games with 52 starts, the vast majority of which came with New England. Thus far in his career he has 283 total tackles (184 solo), with 21 sacks, 54 quarterback hits, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 25 tackles for loss.
The Steelers are in the market for depth at edge rusher in part because they released 2021 sixth-round pick Quincy Roche prior to the start of last season. That’s notable because he was immediately claimed off waivers by the Giants and went on to have a surprisingly productive rookie season in New York.
Making matters worse, Jamir Jones—the outside linebacker who beat out Roche for a job—was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams after the Steelers waived him on September 28, 2021. His Rams career got off to a remarkable start and it looks like he has a future in the league.
The Steelers Have Signed 20 Players to Reserve/Futures Contracts
The agreement with Simon is the latest in a series of futures deals the Steelers have consummated since their season came to an end.
The signing parade got underway when the team inked a dozen players on January 18, including former Green Bay Packers third-round pick Jace Sternberger, a tight end who spent a short time on Pittsburgh’s practice squad in 2021. The following day they added three more players: long snapper Christian Kuntz, cornerback Isaiah Johnson and wide receiver Steven Sims. That was followed by new contracts for former Cowboys offensive tackle Chaz Green and fullback Trey Edmunds, as well as former Bears second-round pick Anthony Miller. Finally, on January 26 the Steelers signed ex-Falcons punter Cameron Nizialek to compete with Pressley Harvin III.
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