Eight Former Steelers Make CFL Opening Rosters
Eight former members of the Pittsburgh Steelers have made the initial rosters for the 2025 season of the Canadian Football League, the CFL announced this week as teams made their final cuts.
Former Steelers running back Greg Bell, defesnive tackle Demarcus Christmas, defensive tackle Josiah Coatney, defensive lineman Dewayne Hendrix, fullback Zander Horvath, wide receiver Tevin Jones, defensive tackle Trevon Mason, quarterback James Morgan, defensive tackle Casey Sayles and defensive end James Vaughters have all made initial CFL rosters for 2025.
The CFL season opens on Thursday night, when the Ottawa Redblacks visits the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Hendrix and Horvath will play for the BC Lions. Hendrix, 28, is a Pitt alum and spent time with Pittsburgh in the 2020 offseason. He is in his fifth season north of the border, playing for the Toronto Argonauts from 2021-23 and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season. He had four sacks in each of the last two seasons.
Horvath, 26, was with the Pittsburgh practice squad in 2023. Since then, he spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, but has not played in another NFL game. He played 15 games with the Chargers 2022. After being released by Miami last August, he signed with BC in January.
Coatney, 29, signed with Pittsburh as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss in 2020, but did not make the team. The 325-pound defensive tackle will be in his second season with the Calgary Stampeders. He had eight tackles and one sack for Calgary last year after spending 2023 in the XFL.
Jones, 32, spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Steelers, appearing in five games. He caught four passes for 61 yards. He mostly made his name a player that made some splash plays during the preseason in his time with the Steelers.
The veteran has been playing in the CFL since 2022, and will join Coatney on Calgary — Jones’ fourth team in the league after previously spending time with Saskatchewan, the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks. Jones’ best season came in 2023, when he caught 65 passes for 882 yards and three touchdowns for Saskatchewan.
Bell, 26, will suit up for Hamilton for a second season. The San Diego State alum spent a chunk of 2023 with Pittsburgh, without ever appearing in a game. He rushed 94 times for 625 yards and six scores with the Tigers-Cats last summer.
Sayles, 29, is in his third season in Hamilton and fifth in Canada. Th had two stints with Pittsburgh, in 2018 and 2019, and has also played for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF and St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL. In the CFL, Sayles has 24 sacks over his four seasons. His best year was 2023, when he had seven sacks and 50 tackles.
Mason, 26, spent time with the Steelers during the 2022 offseason. The Arizona alum played for Hamilton last season, recording 18 tackles, but has moved to Montreal for 2025.
Morgan, 28, was on the Pittsburgh practice squad in 2021. He’s returning for a second season with the Alouettes. Last year, he appeared in five games as a backup. The FIU product played with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL in 2023.
Christmas, 29, spent two seasons with Pittsburgh from 2020-21, but never appeared in a regular-season game while dealing with a back injury. Originally a sixth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, the Florida State alum has found success in the CFL. He’s entering his fourth season north of the border, moving to the Toronto Argonauts for 2025 after spending 2022-23 in Saskatchewan and 2024 in Edmonton. He’s had 18 sacks over the last three seasons.
Vaughters, 31, was with Pittsburgh during the 2022 season. The edge rusher has since played two seasons in Canada with Calgary and has now caught on with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He’s had five sacks in each of the last two season.
In addition to the eight former members of the Steelers on active rosters, former Pittsburgh draft pick Antoine Brooks is on the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster, and offensive lineman Ilm Manning, who had a tryout with the Steelers at rookie minicamp this year, is on the BC Lions.
The rest of the league will begin their 2025 CFL seasons this weekend, leading up to the 112th Grey Cup, which will be played on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg.