Duece Watts is Fighting For a Spot on the Practice Squad Due to Log-Jammed WR Room
Rookie wide receiver Roman Wilsin details how he formed a bond with his new positional coach just days after arriving in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers liked what they saw in practice squad wide receiver Duece Watts enough to bring him back on a reserve/future deal for the 2024 season. Watts was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft but was released as a part of the Packers final roster cuts last August.
The Steelers picked him up in late September and he stayed with the team throughout the conclusion of the season. While he was not elevated for any of the team’s games last season, he showed enough as a part of the scout team to warrant a reserve/future contract for the upcoming season.
Watts is not going to beat a defensive back with speed as he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash but he has a decent frame as he stands at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds. In comparison, fellow Steelers wide receiver Van Jefferson is 6-foot, 200 pounds.
The intriguing thing about Watts is his ability to make a play when the team needs it most. The most memorable example of this was in Tulane’s Cotton Bowl victory against USC.
Trailing by six points with 22 seconds left in the game, Watts hauled in an 18-yard reception that set up the Green Wave’s game-winning touchdown. On the play, a Trojan defended wrapped Watts legs up while another defended hit him high, but Watts was able to hang on and the Green Wave upset the Hiesman winning quarterback Caleb Williams and the Trojans, 42-41.
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When the Steelers added multiple veteran wide receivers this offseason, it placed more of a roadblock on Watts’ path to the 53-man roster. As the team will likely roster five receivers on the 53-man roster, Watts is on the outside looking in.
Guys like George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Quez Watkins, Roman Wilson and Jefferson are considered as the frontrunners for roster spots, it leaves little wiggle room for a guy like Watts. Under his circumstances, Watts is likely fighting for a spot on the team’s practice squad once again.
Regardless, Watts should receiver many chances to showcase his talents in his first preseason with the Steelers when camp opens on Friday. If he fails to crack the 53-man roster, Watts is a top candidate for the practice squad. He will join guys like Jacob Copeland, Scotty Miller and Marquez Callaway as fringe roster guys that are all fighting for one or two spots on the Steelers practice squad.
85 • Duece Watts, Wide Receiver, Tulane
6-foot-1, 196 pounds, 24 years old, 2nd Season
Acquired: The Steelers signed Duece Watts to their practice squad on Sept. 20, 2023, shortly after the Green Bay Packers released him.
Last Season: The Green Bay Packers signed Duece Watts as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He stayed on their 90-man roster until the team slimmed down their roster in August when they released him.
The Steelers signed him to their practice squad around a month later. He stayed on the team’s practice squad for the rest of the season but was not elevated once as a rookie. He has yet to make his NFL debut.
| Year | GP | GS | Receptions | Rec. Yards | Rec. TDs |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
College: Duece Watts, a 6-foot-1, 196-pound Chicago native, got his college start at Jones College, a junior college in Mississippi. After two seasons at Jones, he transferred to Tulane for the final three seasons of his collegiate career.
At Jones College, Watts earned All-MACJC honors following his second season. In that season, Watts hauled in 24 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns. He helped lead Jones to a spot in the MACJC playoffs and recorded a 100-yard game against Northwest Mississippi.
In his first season with the Green Wave, Watts played in 12 games and recorded 31 receptions for 512 yards and six receiving scores. The next season, Watts’ volume went down as he caught just 21 balls for 331 yards and three touchdowns in 2021. In 2022, which was his most prolific season in a Tulane uniform, he caught 33 passes for 657 yards, which is 19.9 yards per catch, and scored seven touchdowns.
During his final season as a member of the Green Wave, Watts helped lead Tulane to a Cotton Bowl victory against Heisman winning quarterback Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans.
In total over his three season as a Green Wave, Watts hauled in 85 passes for 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns.
| Year | School | GP | Receptions | Rec. Yards | Rec. TDs |
| 2018 | Jones | 12 | 23 | 286 | 3 |
| 2019 | Jones | 10 | 24 | 416 | 2 |
| 2020 | Tulane | 12 | 31 | 512 | 6 |
| 2021 | Tulane | 12 | 21 | 331 | 3 |
| 2022 | Tulane | 13 | 33 | 657 | 7 |
Salary cap and future: The Steelers signed Duece Watts to a reserve/future contract following the 2023 season meaning he is signed through the end of the 2024 season. If he makes the 53-man roster this year, Watts will cost $795,000 against the team’s cap space.
None of his money is guaranteed meaning if the team decided to release him at any point, they will not face any dead money penalties.
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