The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding a new product from the International Player Pathway Program in safety Ayo Oyelola.
NFL Insider Aaron Wilson reported on September 2 that the Steelers are signing the safety, who spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Products in the International Player Pathway Program do not count as one of the 53 members of an NFL team’s official roster or one of the 16 players on a team’s practice squad. That is so international players can train with NFL teams in an effort to help them eventual play in the league, and subsequently, grow the game overseas.
The Steelers have not officially announced the Oyelola signing. But Steelers Depot predicted he will replace edge rusher Julius Welschof as the team’s International Player Pathway Program product. NFL teams are permitted just one player with an international exemption on their roster from the program.
“Steelers are signing DB Ayo Oyelola, per Aaron Wilson,” the official Steelers Depot X (formerly Twitter) account wrote. “Likely to practice squad as IPPP player to replace Julius Welschof.”
The Steelers placed Welschof on season-ending injured reserve as part of their roster cuts on August 27.
Steelers Reportedly Add New International Exemption Player
A London, England native, Oyelola began playing American football at the University of Nottingham. According to Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney, he graduated from the school with a law degree in 2020.
Oyelola joined the NFL in the International Program in 2021. After a season in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he signed with the Jaguars and spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as an international exemption player on the team’s practice squad.
He never appeared in a regular season game. But Oyelola registered 4 tackles while playing in 5 preseason games with Jacksonville.
The Jaguars released Oyelola on April 15 to sign Australian tight end Patrick Murtagh. The tight end spent part of last season with the Detroit Lions but withdrew from the international program because of injury.
Murtagh will begin the 2024 season on the Jaguars practice squad.
How Ayo Oyelola Fits With the Steelers
With Oyelola, the Steelers have added depth at safety. But even before adding Oyelola, the Steelers had plenty of safety depth.
3-time All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick and free-agent signing DeShon Elliott are projected to start in the back end of Pittsburgh’s secondary. Damontae Kazee is back and should resume his role as a versatile defensive back as the team’s No. 3 safety.
The Steelers also have special teams ace Miles Killebrew and veteran safety Jalen Elliott on the 53-man roster to begin the season.
Unfortunately, the Steelers lost rookie safety Ryan Watts to a season-ending injury in the final week of the preseason. But the team has more defensive back depth on their practice squad.
None of Pittsburgh’s 16 practice squad players are officially listed as a safety. But two of the team’s practice squad players — Zyon Gilbert and Thomas Graham Jr. — are listed as defensive backs.
Oyelola will likely join them on the team’s practice squad.
NFL teams can elevate each practice squad player three times during the regular season. The Steelers will open the 2024 campaign against the Atlanta Falcons on September 8.
