Steelers To Release WR Gunner Olszewski
A Steeler since signing with the team in March 2022, Gunner Olszewski looks to be on his way out of Pittsburgh. The Steelers are releasing the veteran receiver and return specialist Friday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Olszewski saw more time as a return man with the Patriots, earning first-team All-Pro honors back in 2020. He has only served in that capacity on a part-time basis in Pittsburgh. Thus far this season, Olszewski has logged just three combined returns. This move could clear the way for Diontae Johnson to return. The fifth-year starter is expected to be activated from IR ahead of Week 7. As of Friday, the Steelers only have four receivers on their 53-man roster.
The fifth-year specialist has fumbled twice, however, despite only logging four touches in his two games. The Steelers will save nearly $1MM by making this move. Because the 27-year-old backup is a vested veteran, he will avoid the waiver wire. Had the Steelers hung onto Olszewski past the trade deadline, he would have needed to pass through waivers. This transaction also would allow Olszewski to immediately pass through to the Steelers’ practice squad, though it is unclear if the team wants to retain the veteran in any capacity.
After spending his entire rookie season on IR, Calvin Austin is in place as Pittsburgh’s punt returner. The Steelers used Desmond King as one of their kick returners this season, making this week rather key regarding Pittsburgh’s special teams. King received his walking papers earlier this week, having only played one defensive snap during his brief run with the AFC North franchise. Olszewski only totaled five offensive snaps and eight ST plays this season.
Last year, Olszewski was closer to a part-timer, He logged 216 offensive plays and 106 on special teams. While the Steelers only deployed Olszewski as a sporadic return man, he spent three years as the Patriots’ primary punt returner. The former UDFA’s 17.3-yard average led the NFL in 2020, producing the All-Pro nod.
Steelers Release CB Desmond King
OCTOBER 18: No trade partner emerged. The Steelers are moving on from the veteran corner via a release, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. This situation came about due to King’s lack of playing time, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly tweets. The Steelers are the second team to cut King in two months, with a Texans release sending him to Pittsburgh. With the trade deadline Oct. 31, vested veterans are not yet subject to waivers. King, 28, will head back into free agency.
OCTOBER 17: After joining the Steelers in August, it sounds like Desmond King won’t be sticking in Pittsburgh much longer. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Steelers plan to move on from the veteran cornerback.
The Steelers are hoping to find a trade partner for King, but Pelissero notes that the team will simply release the veteran if they can’t find a suitor.
After getting cut by the Texans at the end of the preseason, King quickly caught on with the Steelers. While the veteran was expected to provide some veteran depth to the secondary, he barely saw the field through the first month-plus. King has been limited to only three games this season, with only one of his 16 snaps coming on defense.
While the Steelers’ secondary has struggled this year, King clearly had a tough time climbing the depth chart. Chandon Sullivan emerged as the team’s primary nickelback opposite starters Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace, with rookie second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. soaking up the remaining snaps at the position.
King, a former fifth-round pick, served as mostly a slot corner during his time with the Chargers, but he established himself as a starter on the outside during his two-year stint with the Texans. Between 2021 and 2022, King collected 182 tackles and five interceptions in 25 starts (33 total games). With 98 regular season games on his resume, a DB-needy team will surely come calling.
Pittsburgh isn’t just subtracting a cornerback from their roster. Instead, they’re replacing King with cornerback Darius Rush, who the Steelers are expected to sign off the Chiefs practice squad (per Pelissero). The rookie fifth-round pick was cut by the Colts at the end of the preseason but the Chiefs were quick to claim him off waivers. Kansas City later removed Rush from the active roster and signed him to the practice squad, a move that helped the Steelers to swoop in and snag him.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/23
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: S Jaylinn Hawkins
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Giants practice squad: S Alex Cook
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: G Michael Dunn
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: WR Juwann Winfree
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released from reserve/retired: LB Blake Martinez
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR: DE Chase Winovich
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: WR Trishton Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed off Steelers practice squad: CB Josiah Scott
- Waived: CB Mario Goodrich
Steelers Designate WR Diontae Johnson, RB Anthony McFarland For Return
The Steelers could soon have reinforcements available on offense. Both wideout Diontae Johnson and running back Anthony McFarland returned to practice on Monday, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Steelers Not Moving On From OC Matt Canada]
Both players have been on injured reserve since Week 2, a move which guaranteed at least a four-week absence. The fact they have each started practicing at the first available opportunity is an encouraging sign for their availability as soon as this Sunday. Today’s move opens their three-week window to be activated and avoid reverting to season-ending IR.
A hamstring injury forced Johnson to miss the past four weeks, but he has been confident he would be able to return following the team’s bye. That seems likely given his immediate return to the practice field, and suiting up in Week 6 would be a welcomed development for a Steelers offense which is in need of improvement. Johnson has led Pittsburgh in receiving yards the past three years, and he has received at least 144 targets in each of those campaigns.
The 27-year-old has produced one 1,000-yard season in that span (1,136 in 2021), and he has been a consistent presence in the team’s passing game since his rookie year in 2019. That helped earn him a two-year, $36.71MM extension last offseason as Pittsburgh made the rare move of re-upping a homegrown receiver. Johnson will regain his starting spot upon return alongside George Pickens and Allen Robinson, and he will aim to end his touchdown-less streak which lasted all of 2022 and continued in his season debut of this year.
McFarland, on the other hand, will likely have a more challenging path to playing time when he is activated. The Maryland product sits firmly behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on the RB depth chart, and the latter two should be expected to carry the load moving forward. Once Johnson and McFarland are officially brought back, the Steelers will have six IR activations remaining.
Steelers Remain Committed To OC Matt Canada
The Steelers are currently on the bye, a time during which teams regularly make signficant coaching or personnel changes. None are expected to be made with respect to the coordinator in charge of Pittsburgh’s offense, however. 
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada still has the backing of head coach Mike Tomlin and Co., Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). As Russini adds, the Steelers would have already made a change regarding Canada if they had decided to move in a different direction. The latter will retain play-calling duties for the foreseeable future.
Canada was named as an OC who found himself on the hot seat last week, and speculation regarding his job security has continued for some time. Russini notes that the Steelers held a meeting to discuss the unit’s struggles, but that has not produced a change on the sidelines. In spite of that, Canada will still no doubt face pressure to deliver an improvement on what Pittsburgh has managed during his time at the helm to date.
The Steelers rank near the bottom of the league in several categories this season, and they have averaged just 15.8 points and less than 290 yards of offense per game. The passing and rushing attacks sit 26th and 30th, respectively, meaning the unit does not have one element to lean on to help mask the shortcomings of another. Injuries in the pass-catching corps and along the offensive line have been present in 2023, but as a whole quarterback Kenny Pickett and the players around him have fallen short of expectations.
Given the fact that Canada’s tenure (which began in 2021) has not yielded notable improvement with Pickett becoming more acclimated to the NFL, frustrations laid bare by the fans along with questions regarding his support from within the building have been understandable. At 3-2 on the strength of their defense, however, the Steelers are firmly in the running in the AFC North and the wild-card picture in the AFC as things currently stand.
Pittsburgh has a history of avoiding in-season coaching changes, so it comes as little surprise that Canada appears safe for the remainder of the campaign. As has been the case before, though, he will face plenty of scrutiny in the coming weeks with his long-term future in the organization a matter of speculation.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/23
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: WR Xavier Malone
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Collin Johnson
- Released: K John Parker Romo
Denver Broncos
- Released: WR Michael Bandy
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Anthony Averett (story), TE Anthony Firkser
- Released: CB Darius Phillips, WR Trey Quinn
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: WR Juwann Winfree
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Cornell Armstrong
- Released: WR Marquez Callaway, CB Rejzohn Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB Jake Funk
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: QB Tanner Morgan
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Yodny Cajuste
- Designated to return: WR Cole Beasley
- Released: CB Amani Oruwariye, WR Cam Sims
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: FB Jack Colletto
Anthony Firkser will provide the Lions with some veteran tight end depth. Darrell Daniels has mostly transitioned to a fullback role and James Mitchell is sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaving Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright as the two healthy TEs on the roster. Firkser has seen time in 69 regular season games, hauling in 115 catches for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns. The 28-year-old tight end got into 11 games for the Falcons in 2022, finishing with nine catches for 100 yards.
Yodny Cajuste is back in New York after getting cut by the Jets back in August. The former third-round pick got into 17 games (five starts) for the Patriots between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was waived by New England back in May before catching on with the Jets for the preseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/23
Here are Monday’s practice squad moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Mark Webb, OL Cameron Tom
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on practice squad injured list: WR Shaquan Davis
- Released: CB Anthony Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jack Colletto, LB Kyron Johnson
- Released: RB Zander Horvath, P Brad Wing
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Tay Gowan, DT Taylor Stallworth
- Released: CB Armani Marsh, DT Jayden Peevy
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Joshua Kalu
- Released: DB Keidron Smith
Steelers OC Matt Canada, Saints OC Pete Carmichael Could Be On Hot Seat
Last month, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed offensive coordinator Matt Canada‘s job status and noted that he would not make a “knee-jerk reaction” with respect to Canada’s position. Given that the Steelers generally refrain from making a major coaching move during the season, and since Canada was retained for 2023 to offer some continuity for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, it seemed reasonable to expect that the OC would at least finish out the year in Pittsburgh.
However, that may not be the case. While Tomlin again said several days ago that he would not be making a change “at this juncture,” sources close to the situation tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Canada could find himself on the hot seat if Pittsburgh’s offensive output does not improve.
Based on the offense’s performance under Canada to date, it is difficult to forecast such improvement. Since getting promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in 2021, Canada has been unable to coax much production out of his unit. The Steelers dropped from 22nd in points scored in 2021 to 24th in 2022, and while they jumped from 25th to 19th in total yards, the passing offense took a major step back.
Of course, there are always going to be growing pains with a young passer like Pickett. Nonetheless, it is easy to understand why the Steelers faithful are frustrated and have taken to gracing their team with “Fire Canada” chants. Pittsburgh presently ranks 29th in total offense, is averaging just 15.5 points per game, and is one of four teams that have scored fewer than ten points in multiple games in 2023. As a result, Canada could soon find himself on the wrong side of Steelers history; the last time the team made a significant in-season coaching shakeup was in 1998, when then-HC Bill Cowher removed then-OC Ray Sherman’s play-calling duties.
Like the Steelers, the Saints are averaging just 15.5 points per game, and according to Rapoport, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is not necessarily a safe bet to make it through the end of the season. In fairness, New Orleans was 2-0 and was leading its Week 3 contest against the Packers 17-0 when a shoulder injury forced quarterback Derek Carr out of that game, which the team ultimately lost by an 18-17 score. Then, the Saints dropped a 26-9 decision to the Bucs in Week 4 while deploying a less-than-healthy Carr under center.
Still, even the Saints’ victories and near-victories have been earned largely on the strength of the defense, and they are just one of three teams that have scored fewer than 20 points in every game this season. Carmichael, a longtime Sean Payton lieutenant, has been New Orleans’ OC since 2009, so it would be somewhat jarring to see someone else in that role. But while HC Dennis Allen noted on October 2 that it was too soon to make a staff change, it sounds as if a change could be in the offing if there is no substantial improvement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/23
Here are the day’s minor transactions heading into Week 5:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: RB Corey Clement, DL Ben Stille
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Xavier Malone
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Kenyan Drake, WR Laquon Treadwell
- Placed on IR: DB Daryl Worley
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, DT Kendal Vickers
- Placed on IR: CB Tre’Davious White (story)
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: CB Dicaprio Bootle
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: WR Kwamie Lassiter
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: S P.J. Locke
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: OLB Julian Okwara
- Activated from exempt/commissioner permission: WR Jameson Williams
- Elevated: WR Dylan Drummond
- Placed on IR: FB Jason Cabinda
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: WR Parker Washington
- Activated from exempt/commissioner permission: T Cam Robinson
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: DE Chase Winovich
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: WR N’Keal Harry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: G Tommy Kraemer
- Elevated: S Johnathan Abram, S Daniel Sorensen
- Waived: RB Tony Jones Jr.
New York Giants
- Elevated: G Jalen Mayfield, T Jaylon Thomas
New York Jets
- Elevated: WR Irvin Charles, CB Craig James
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: P Braden Mann, CB Bradley Roby
- Placed on IR: G Cam Jurgens (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: OL Ryan McCollum, P Brad Wing
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: DE Austin Bryant, CB Kendall Sheffield
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: WR Kyle Philips
- Elevated: S Dane Cruikshank, DT Jaleel Johnson
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Expected To Play
The Steelers received good news early in the week that the knee injury suffered by starting second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett was not a serious one. That news continues to improve as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Pickett is “good to go” for tomorrow’s game against the division-rival Ravens. 
The Ravens have already faced two backup quarterbacks so far this season in Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew and Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Their other two games have been against Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and a banged up Joe Burrow with the Bengals.
There were concerns over the possible severity of Pickett’s knee injury, but an MRI determined that it was a combination of a bone bruise and a muscle strain that was ailing the 25-year-old. Despite early concerns, Pickett was able to be a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday and was fully removed from the team’s injury report today.
If Pickett wasn’t able to go, or if he were to reaggravate his knee injury in the contest, Mitchell Trubisky would be the first name off the bench. The former Bears passer started five games for the Steelers last season, going 2-3 in those starts. Mason Rudolph would then serve as the primary backup behind Trubisky. Rudolph has 10 starts over his three years in Pittsburgh, going 5-4-1 in those games.
Luckily for the Steelers, they won’t have to depend on either of their backup options. Pickett and company will attempt to keep the Ravens from going 3-0 in AFC North road games to start the season.