The Baltimore Ravens have activated defensive back Desmond King and wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad for Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ironically, King and Miller are both former Steelers players.
King signed with the Steelers on Aug. 31, 2023, but was released on October 18.
King only played in one defensive snap with the Steelers. He was inactive for several games, but once injuries piled up at kick returner, King took over as the starting kick returner in Week 3 after injuries to Anthony McFarland and Gunner Olszewski.
King said he always wanted to play for Pittsburgh once he signed with the team due to his perception of Mike Tomlin. However, after weeks of preparation, he never got a consistent workload on the field. On his lone defensive snap, King took a bad angle and allowed Ravens running back Justice Hill to scamper into the endzone for a touchdown. After that, he never played for Pittsburgh again.
King re-signed with the Houston Texans on Nov. 20. He started three games and appeared in seven, recording two passes defended, five tackles for loss, a sack and quarterback hit.
On March 12, 2024, King signed a one-year contract extension with the Texans. He was released on Aug. 27, and later re-signed to the practice squad. He was released on November 12. On Nov. 19, King was signed to the Ravens practice squad.
Miller had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Indianapolis Colts last season. He was cut by the Chiefs in May and got scooped up by the Ravens on Aug. 11. He was released on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad.
Saturday will be Miller’s Ravens debut and first regular season game in three years.
Miller, 28, was released by the Steelers on June 20 2023. Miller dealt with a hamstring injury throughout OTAs and minicamp, severely limiting his availability throughout the programs.
He first joined the 2021, playing in one game as a practice squad elevation. He re-signed with the team in 2022 and was in the midst of a strong training camp when an injury during practice on Aug. 11 ended his season.
The Steelers brought Miller back again on a one-year contract for 2023, and he was expected to compete to be the starting slot wide receiver. But the team traded for Allen Robinson II to fill that role just before the 2023 NFL Draft.
Miller was a originally second-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2018 NFL Draft and spent his first three NFL seasons in Chicago, where he caught passes from current Steelers backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky and played with wide receiver Allen Robinson.