Colts Poach Defensive Back from Steelers Practice Squad

The Indianapolis Colts have signed defensive back Henry Black from the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday.

Black had signed to the Steelers practice squad on Nov. 21. Black did not appear in a game in his month with the Steelers. He had previously been with the Colts, and they released him from their practice squad on Oct. 24.

The 6-foot, 204-pound safety signed with the Green Bay Packers as a UDFA in 2020 and spent his first two seasons there, playing in 25 games on both defense and special teams. As a rookie in 2020, he played in eight games, mostly on special teams, and recorded eight tackles.

The following season, he got more playing time on defense, finishing with 38 tackles over 17 games, and also one forced fumble, two passes defended and an interception. Black played strong safety, free safety and slot cornerback for the Packers.

Green Bay did not retain his rights after the 2021 season and Black signed with the New York Giants. He was waived by New York on July 26, and caught on with the Atlanta Falcons two days later. He spent the 2022 preseason in Atlanta, but was cut after training camp.

The Colts picked him up and he spent all of the 2022 season on the Indianapolis practice squad. He was back with Indy this offseason, but was cut and added to the practice squad after the 2023 preseason.
The Steelers have been dealing with significant depth issues in their secondary, with Eric Rowe called up from the practice squad to start last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

With Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson both expected to be limited in practice this week, the team could look to replace Black for depth in the secondary.