Steelers Sign G Max Scharping Off Commanders’ Practice Squad
In need of depth along the interior offensive line, the Steelers have brought in veteran reinforcements. Max Scharping was signed to Pittsburgh’s roster off the Commanders’ practice squad, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The move is now official. 
Left guard Isaac Seumalo has yet to play this season as he rehabs a torn rotator cuff. Pittsburgh elected not to place him on injured reserve, meaning a return could be close. Still, Pittsburgh’s offensive line is not at full strength and will not be for the remainder of the campaign. Right guard James Daniels suffered a torn Achilles in Week 4, and he will be out for the rest of the season.
Starting center Nate Herbig is also out of the picture after he suffered a torn rotator cuff before the start of the campaign. Second-round rookie Zach Frazier has handled first-team duties in his absence while playing with multiple contributors at the guard spots. Scharping could enter that mix in his return to the AFC North.
The 28-year-old is a veteran of 79 games and 33 starts across his time with the Texans and Bengals. Scharping saw heavy usage in Houston compared to his sparse role in Cincinnati, which limited his market value this offseason. He signed with the Eagles in a bid to land a roster spot, but Philadelphia cut him in advance of Week 1. That led to a practice squad deal with the Commanders. Scharping has not seen game action this year, however, and he will look to secure a role in Pittsburgh moving forward.
In a corresponding move, the Steelers placed Daniels on injured reserve. The team also released defensive backs Jalen Elliott and Darius Rush from the 53-man roster as part of its collection of Tuesday transactions. Scharping may not be used in a starting capacity, but he figures to have a role in relatively short order as Pittsburgh looks to find a healthy combination up front.
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.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/23
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Jacob Slade
- Released: WR Daniel Arias
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Milo Eifler
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Matthias Farley
- Released: DB Eric Rowe
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Dan Skipper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Darius Rush
- Released: NT Danny Shelton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Mykal Walker
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Cory Durden
- Released: P Brandon Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Verone McKinley
- Released: S Joshua Kalu
New England Patriots
- Signed: QB Matt Corral
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Tiawan Mullen
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Chris Steele
- Released: WR Matt Landers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Logan Stenberg
Tennessee Titans
- Released: DE Michael Dwumfour
According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Matt Corral has landed back with the Patriots after going unclaimed on waivers. It’s been a busy few months for Corral, who has bounced on and off the Panthers and Patriots rosters. He’ll now return to New England as the organization’s third QB behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Eric Rowe didn’t last all that long in Carolina after landing on the team’s practice squad in late August. The veteran defensive back spent the past four seasons in Miami, starting 39 of his 63 appearances. He’ll be replaced by Matthias Farley, who brings 100 games of experience to the Panthers. The safety has bounced around the league recently but didn’t miss a game between 2020 and 2022.
It took Mykal Walker a few weeks to find a new gig after getting cut by the Bears on roster deadline day. The former fourth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with 107 tackles. He was surprisingly waived by Atlanta in mid-August before getting scooped up by Chicago. Now, he’ll have a chance to revive his career in Las Vegas.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/23
Today’s callups and adjustments heading into Week 2:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike, LB Andre Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Melvin Gordon, C Sam Mustipher
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: T Aviante Collins
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB C.J. Goodwin, C Brock Hoffman
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: CB Chase Lucas
- Promoted from practice squad: G Kayode Awosika
- Placed on IR: CB Khalil Dorsey, DE Josh Paschal
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: G Michael Deiter
- Promoted from practice squad: T Austin Deculus, S DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Waived: DE Derek Rivers
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: G Arlington Hambright, WR Juwann Winfree
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: CB Gregory Junior
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated: DT Chris Jones (story)
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Matt Dickerson, RB La’Mical Perine
- Waived: CB Darius Rush
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Isaac Rochell
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Royce Freeman, WR Austin Trammell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: DT Da’Shawn Hand
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Cameron Goode, DE Chase Winovich
- Waived: S Verone McKinley III
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Calvin Munson, WR Jalen Reagor
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Taiwan Jones, OLB Oshane Ximines
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Artie Burns, LB Jon Rhattigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Pat O’Connor, LB J.J. Russell
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Eric Garror, DT Kyle Peko
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.
Denver Broncos
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- RB Tyler Badie, WR Michael Bandy, QB Ben DiNucci, WR Phillip Dorsett (story), CB Art Green, OLB Marcus Haynes, T Demontrey Jacobs, S Devon Key, DL PJ Mustipher, DT Haggai Chisom Ndubusi, G William Sherman, WR David Sills
Kansas City Chiefs
Claimed:
- DB Darius Rush
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Ekow Boye-Doe, S Deon Bush, TE Matt Bushman, LB Cole Christiansen, DT Matt Dickerson, T Chukwuebuka Godrick, DE Truman Jones, T Darrian Kinnard, QB Chris Oladokun, RB La’Mical Perine, WR Cornell Powell, RB Deneric Prince, C Austin Reiter, DT Danny Shelton, CB Reese Taylor, DT Chris Williams
Las Vegas Raiders
Placed on IR:
- WR Chris Lacy
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- DE David Agoha, DL Matthew Butler, G McClendon Curtis, TE Cole Fotheringham, S Jaydon Grant, CB Tyler Hall, LB Kana’i Mauga, RB Sincere McCormick, G Netane Muti, DE Isaac Rochell, WR Devin Ross, TE John Samuel Shenker, CB Sam Webb, WR Antoine Wesley
Los Angeles Chargers
Claimed:
- LB Tanner Muse
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- OLB Brevin Allen, T Zack Bailey, WR Terrell Bynum, DL Jerrod Clark, DL Christian Covington, WR Keelan Doss, QB Max Duggan, OLB Andrew Farmer, CB Matt Hankins, TE Hunter Kampmoyer, DL C.J. Okoye, OL Austen Pleasants
Reverted to IR:
- WR Darrius Shepherd, CB Amechi Uzodinma, LB Blake Lynch, WR Milton Wright
Released from IR via injury settlement:
Colts Move Roster To 53
Some higher-profile Colts news has overshadowed their roster construction, but the Jonathan Taylor drama factors into Indianapolis’ roster construction. Here is how the team moved down to 53:
Released:
- TE Pharaoh Brown
- S Ronnie Harrison
- T Dan Skipper
- WR Vyncint Smith
- WR Juwann Winfree
Waived:
- LB Liam Anderson
- S Henry Black
- S Marcel Dabo
- RB Jake Funk
- RB Jason Huntley
- DE Khalid Kareem
- WR D.J. Montgomery
- LB Donavan Mutin
- WR Amari Rodgers
- CB Darius Rush
- DT Caleb Sampson
- WR Mike Strachan
- CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart
- CB Kevin Toliver
Placed on IR:
- LB JoJo Domann
- DE Titus Leo
- C Danny Pinter (story)
- TE Ricky Seals-Jones
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- RB Jonathan Taylor (story)
Placed on reserve/suspended list:
While Funk could be a practice squad candidate, Indianapolis’ 53-man roster includes three running backs: Deon Jackson, Zack Moss and fifth-round rookie Evan Hull. Moss is rehabbing a broken arm and looms as a candidate for in-season IR. The Colts released late-summer pickup Kenyan Drake recently. The Taylor move sidelines the disgruntled All-Pro for the first four games.
Smith, Rodgers, Strachan and Winfree moving off the roster leaves only four receivers (Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Isaiah McKenzie) on the active. It seems likely another will be added before Week 1. Even with Brown gone, Indy’s 53-man roster houses five tight ends. Jelani Woods, Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, fifth-round rookie Will Mallory and Drew Ogletree, a second-year sixth-rounder, comprise that group. This would seem to be a place the Colts would be willing to cut into, should they be awarded any players on waivers before Wednesday’s 11am CT deadline.
The Colts added Harrison this offseason, signing the former Browns safety after the Browns brought in 2022 Colts cog Rodney McLeod. It should be expected Harrison, who is going into his sixth season, lands somewhere soon. Teams can keep up to six vested veterans on their respective practice squads, leaving the door ajar for Harrison — who only signed with the Colts on Aug. 14 — to stay. The 26-year-old defender has 45 starts on his resume.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/5/23
Here are a few more mid- to late-round draft picks who signed their four-year rookie contracts today:
Green Bay Packers
- DL Colby Wooden (fourth round, Auburn)
- WR Dontayvion Wicks (fifth round, Virginia)
- DL Karl Brooks (sixth round, Bowling Green)
- K Anders Carlson (sixth round, Auburn)
- CB Carrington Valentine (seventh round, Kentucky)
- RB Lew Nichols (seventh round, Central Michigan)
- S Anthony Johnson Jr. (seventh round, Iowa State)
Indianapolis Colts
- CB Darius Rush (fifth round, South Carolina)
- S Daniel Scott (fifth round, California)
- DE Titus Leo (sixth round, Wagner)
- CB Jaylon Jones (seventh round, Texas A&M)
- T Jake Witt (seventh round, Northern Michigan)
New York Giants
- RB Eric Gray (fifth round, Oklahoma)
- CB Tre Hawkins (sixth round, Old Dominion)
- S Gervarrius Owens (seventh round, Houston)
New York Jets
- RB Israel Abanikanda (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
- LB Zaire Barnes (sixth round, Western Michigan)
- TE Zack Kuntz (seventh round, Old Dominion)