Steelers Sign Former Highly Touted Draft Pick On Offensive Line

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a first-place team through seven games after posting a 4-3 record, which means they have a great chance to contend for the playoffs in the second half of the season. That is, if they can take care of their divisional foes when they meet. However, Pittsburgh being in first place in the AFC North also means that Steelers General Manager Omar Khan won't stop when it comes to addressing team needs and providing depth from the top of the roster all the way down to the practice squad. On Wednesday, the team announced multiple practice squad signings. 

Offensive lineman Jack Driscoll, safety Darrick Forest, and wide receiver John Rhys Plumlee were each added to the practice squad in Pittsburgh for now. Of course, Driscoll is the most significant name of the bunch.

With 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center, Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin have made a concerted effort to ensure that their offensive captain is protected. While it is not a guarantee that Driscoll will play anytime soon, this move is still a wise one. You can never have too much offensive line help in this day and age in the NFL. Driscoll is also an experienced player. A former fourth-round pick out of Auburn by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, Driscoll has played in 67 career games and started in 18 of them. 

A member of Philadelphia's Super Bowl-winning team last season, the Connecticut native is a rare player in a sense. There aren't many offensive linemen in their athletic primes who are looking for a new home and who have close to 70 games of NFL experience. Not to mention the fact that Driscoll himself has a ring. Khan and Tomlin taking a practice squad flyer on a player with plenty of experience at both guard and tackle is an under-the-radar move. 

There is no risk whatsoever. Time can only tell if Driscoll will be able to be promoted to the active roster anytime soon. Rodgers himself should feel very comfortable knowing the front office is continuing to prioritize his health, as well. 

Other Notable Practice Squad Moves From the Steelers

Again, the addition of Driscoll was not the only one made by Khan and co. The aforementioned additions of Darrick Forest on the back end of the defense and John Rhys Plumlee out wide on offense are intriguing. Forest was a fifth-round pick by the Washington Commanders in 2021. He has played in 40 total games at safety across his four-year career before this season. The former Cincinnati Bearcats standout has 17 starts to his name in the NFL, along with 137 total tackles and four interceptions. Part of the reason why this move was made is that veteran Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (knee) was recently placed on injured reserve. Furthermore, Pittsburgh also made a trade earlier this week for veteran safety Kyle Dugger. Both of these additions give Tomlin some extra help at the position for right now while Elliott heals.

Finally, the third practice squad move that the Steelers made was the bringing back of receiver John Rhys Plumlee. A former college quarterback for both Ole Miss and UCF, Plumlee will now begin his second stint in the Steel City. He started his NFL career in Pittsburgh last season as an undrafted free agent. After being waived by the Steelers in August of 2024, he would go on to be signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After getting cut by them in November, he made his way to the Seattle Seahawks, who eventually signed him to the active roster in early January. However, once again, Plumlee was cut this summer. Now, the former two-sport athlete is back in the Steel City for another go-around and will try to carve out a role with his "new" team.

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