The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing former Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears cornerback Thomas Graham to a reserve/future contract, they announced on Tuesday. Graham is one of three defensive backs signed on Tuesday, along with Kalon Barnes and Josiah Scott.
But Graham is the only player of the five signed on Tuesday who did not spend time with the Steelers during their 2023 season. Graham came out of Oregon in the 2021 NFL Draft and was the sixth-round pick of the Bears. But in his three seasons in the NFL, Graham has 19 tackles and four pass deflections while playing in 11 games and starting in one.
The Bears moved on from Graham in 2022, placing him on their practice squad. The Browns then signed him off the Bears practice squad, but he was cut just a month later and spent time on their practice squad. This year at training camp, Graham was looking to compete for a roster spot, but suffered an injury in early August and was released in November.
At Oregon, Graham carved out a solid career for himself. He played in 40 career games while grabbing eight interceptions and 39 pass deflections over his years there. Graham opted out of the 2020 season before it appeared that Oregon would play any games; instead, he competed at the Senior Bowl to help boost his NFL Draft stock.
At the NFL Combine that year, Graham ran a 4.49 40-yard dash while measuring in at 5-foot-10, and 192 pounds in Indianapolis. Now, he joins the Steelers with a chance to make a roster push.