Joe Sargent/Getty Images Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the second half of a game against the New England Patriots on September 18, 2022.
Turnabout is fair play. Or so it is said. Last week the Pittsburgh Steelers signed outside linebacker David Anenih off the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans. Now a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz indicates that the Titans are poaching safety Andrew Adams off Pittsburgh’s practice squad.
As noted by Schultz, Adams is a veteran defender, having started a total of 35 career games with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Steelers signed him on Sept. 5, the same day that the team added veteran cornerback Josh Jackson to the practice squad. And while Adams had yet to make an appearance for the Steelers, he played in 14 games for the Buccaneers in 2021, during which time he recorded 24 tackles (16 solo), including one tackle for loss, one interception, one quarterback hit and four passes defensed.
Andrew Adams Won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020
Adams, 29, entered the NFL in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of Connecticut and went on to start 13 games for the Giants during his rookie year. After two seasons in New York, he moved on to Tampa Bay, where he won a Super Bowl alongside Tom Brady. He re-joined the Giants this year, but was released on August 26, opening the door for him to come to Pittsburgh.
That said, one can expect the Steelers to sign a safety to take Adams’ place on the practice squad. At the moment, the team has two safeties on injured reserve, including Karl Joseph, who is out for the year, having suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Pittsburgh’s preseason opener. Damontae Kazee also remains on injured reserve, having suffered a broken wrist in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. Kazee is expected to be healthy enough to return sometime in the second half of October.
Meanwhile, the Steelers still have one safety on the practice squad in Elijah Riley, who was claimed on waivers from the New York Jets on Aug. 24, 2022.
Steelers Week 3 Injury Update (Browns)
The team goes into its Week 3 Thursday Night Football game at Cleveland a relatively healthy team, with only one player — inside linebacker Devin Bush (foot) — appearing on this week’s injury report. Yet Bush was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and is expected to play against the Browns.
Meanwhile, the Steelers currently have seven players on injured reserve, headlined by reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt. In addition to the aforementioned Joseph and Kazee, the Steelers also have rookie wide receiver Calvin Austin III on IR, plus wide receiver Anthony Miller, running back Jeremy McNichols and defensive back Carlins Platel.
Linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr. remains on the practice squad injured reserve list.
6 Steelers Nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame
In other recent news, a half-dozen former Steelers players have been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023. That includes first-time nominee James Harrison.
Also among the 129 players on this year’s list are kicker Gary Anderson, linebackers Chad Brown and James Farrior, plus nose tackle Casey Hampton and wide receiver Hines Ward, the latter of whom has been a semi-finalist in each of the past six years. One can expect former teammate Alan Faneca to continue his campaign to have Ward elected, a campaign that got underway last year, when Faneca was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Ward served as his presenter.