Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Genard Avery didn’t take long to find a new home after being released by the team on Tuesday, as very signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.
Avery was one of five cuts by the Steelers on Tuesday, but the only veteran NFL player included in the cut down. All five players cleared waivers, and Avery is the only one to find a new team to this point.
Avery was expected to be the Steelers’ No. 3 outside linebacker this season, but missed all of the spring conditioning and most of training camp with injuries. Despite the fact that he had practiced only sparingly with the team, Avery had worked with the first unit when healthy due to an injury to starter Alex Highsmith. The Steelers have continued to search for depth at the position, adding Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Ron’Dell Carter and James Vaughters since the start of training camp and Avery’s release was considered to be a surprise.
“It was roster reductions,” head coach Mike Tomlin said on Wednesday. “We make decisions based on what we think positions us to put together the best 53, and we’re appreciative of his efforts, but we made the decision to move on.”
The Steelers also waived two players from the injured reserve list with injury settlement on Wednesday. Outside linebacker Tuzar Skipper and running back Master Teague III were both released with injury settlements. They will now be free to sign with another team when they are healthy. They can re-sign with the Steelers, but only until three weeks after their expected return to health.
Teague suffered an ankle injury during training camp. Skipper was waived after the Steelers’ first preseason game with an undisclosed injury.
Two other former Steelers were also waived on Wednesday. Former Steelers tackle Jerald Hawkins was waived from the New Orleans Saints injured reserve list and former Steelers cornerback Shakur Brown was waived from the Tennessee Titans injured reserve list with an injury settlement.