The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted free agent running back Darrynton Evans for a tryout on Tuesday, according to a report by Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV in Houston.
Evans, 26, is a 5-foot-10, 203-pound running back with four years of NFL experience. Originally a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans out of Appalachian State in 2020, he spent his first two seasons as the backup to Derrick Henry in Nashville, where he played for current Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Evans spent a lot of his time with the Titans injury, playing just five games as a rookie while dealing with a hamstring injury and two trips to the IR limiting him to one game in 2021. He was released in the spring of 2022 and claimed from waivers by the Chicago Bears.
The Bears cut Evans that summer, but re-signed him to their practice squad and he was promoted to the active roster on Nov. 27, playing in the final six games of the season alongside current Steelers quarterback Justin Fields.
Evans then started a whirlwind tour. He was signed and released by the Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills ended up on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad and was re-signed from there by the Bears. He played in five games for Chicago last season before being released and re-signed by the Dolphins, playing in two games in Miami.
The Dolphins did not renew his contract after the end of the 2023 season, and Evans re-signed with the Bills. He was with Buffalo this summer, coming to Pittsburgh for a joint practice and a preseason game at Acrisure Stadium before being placed on injured reserve on Aug. 27. He was released from the IR on Oct. 29.
In total, Evans has played in 19 games and rushed 62 times for 246 yards and one touchdown. He has also caught 12 passes for 120 yards.
The Steelers do not have an obvious need at the running back position, with Jaylen Warren having played in three games since returning from a knee injury and Cordarrelle Patterson expected to return this week from an ankle injury. Jonathan Ward is also on the 53-man roster and Aaron Shampklin is on the practice squad.
