Several former Pittsburgh Steelers will take the field for the Ravens-Texans divisional matchup as they fight to reach the AFC Championship. Three players on the Texans have played for the Steelers, and two others suited up for them on the Ravens.
The most notable player is Steven Nelson, who has continued to play at a high level with the Texans. Nelson grabbed a pick-six last week against the Cleveland Browns and Joe Flacco. Pittsburgh released him after the 2020 season, but he has continued to play well throughout his career.
Meanwhile, Desmond King was with the team earlier this season. His exit is a mystery, but King has slotted himself into the Texans’ lineup as a legitimate contributor. The whole idea was chalked up to a misidentification by the front office, but King has proven he has enough in the tank to be a legitimate contributor in the slot.
Newly-elevated Steven Sims will replace Noah Brown on their active roster. Sims was the Steelers’ slot receiver down the stretch in 2022 after they traded Chase Claypool. With the Texans, he has become one of their go-to veterans off the practice squad and will now look to make some noise in Brown’s place.
Meanwhile, the Ravens will have two players on their team, including the newly-elevated Dan Chisena. Chisena spent this training camp with Pittsburgh but found his work all around the NFL as a special teams demon. The Ravens will see him play on special teams for them on Saturday in a must-win matchup.
Lastly, Arthur Maulet, who the Steelers released following the 2022 season, has come on with perhaps the best season of his NFL career. The Ravens use him just like the Steelers did, as a slot blitzer who plays with impressive physicality and fearlessness. He has worked wonders in the Mike Macdonald scheme all season long.