As pads were put on in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on July 30, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced two new roster moves that came straight out of left field.
“We have signed TE Matt Sokol & DB Kyler McMichael and released WR Marquez Callaway and DB Josiah Scott,” the Steelers account posted on X. Closing the book on two potential dark horse candidates at two areas of need.
Callaway was one of several wide receiver flyers that were signed this offseason. The former undrafted rookie nearly hit 700 receiving yards during a breakout campaign with the New Orleans Saints in 2021 but has failed to recreate that sort of production since.
For Callaway, the key was likely to separate himself early — being that the Steelers brought in a few similar deep-ball WRs this spring. In the end, it appears he was unable to do so as Pittsburgh elects to roll with pass-catchers like Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins in his place.
Scott is another unexpected release considering we haven’t even hit August yet. After the Cameron Sutton suspension, the former fourth-round talent was thought to be one of the top contenders for the slot DB role to start the year.
In fact, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat reporter Ray Fittipaldo pointed out that “Scott has the most experience of any of those [backups]” during an interview with “The Morning Show” on 93.7 The Fan on July 10. Although he also acknowledged that Scott’s experience is not lengthy either and “it’s actually from a few years ago.”
Instead, 24-year-old UDFA Beanie Bishop, veteran journeyman Anthony Averett and fifth-year pro Grayland Arnold — among others — are expected to compete for the job.
Steelers Sign 6-Foot-5 Blocking TE Matt Sokol & Journeyman UDFA Kyler McMichael
Even more curious than the decision to let Callaway and Scott go are the additions that replaced them.
The Steelers are going to prioritize tight ends under run-first offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but considering they’ve done so already with five TEs and a fullback on the 90-man roster, is another blocking specialist really necessary?
Sokol signed with the Los Angeles Chargers following the 2019 NFL Draft and has bounced around the league since. He was utilized most with the New England Patriots but has only logged 53 career offensive snaps with another 37 on special teams.
Sokol does have size, at 6-foot-5, but it’s unclear exactly what he offers that isn’t already suiting up in Latrobe.
McMichael is another interesting flyer with very little NFL experience. The 24-year-old defensive back has never appeared in a regular season game despite spending time with three different organizations.
He first entered the league as an undrafted rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was most recently with the Arizona Cardinals.
Ex-Steelers WR James Washington Resurfaces With Falcons
On the evening of July 29, former Steelers second-round pick James Washington turned up in the NFL news cycle once again, inking a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
“The Falcons are signing veteran WR James Washington, sources say,” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on X. “Washington had 114 catches for 1,629 yards and 11 TDs over four years with the Steelers (2018-21), the last two of which he was coached by Ike Hilliard, now Atlanta’s WR coach.”
Washington was one of Pittsburgh’s more disappointing prospects in recent years. After posting 735 receiving yards with the Steelers in 2019 — his second NFL campaign — Washington crashed back down to earth with 392- and 285-yard seasons in 2020 and 2021.
He has not caught a pass in an actual regular season outing since leaving the Steelers.
