The Pittsburgh Steelers have activated tight end Kevin Rader from their practice squad for Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears.
Starting tight end Eric Ebron has been ruled out of the game against the Bears with a hamstring injury. Rader will slot behind Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry as depth at the tight end position and is also a reliable special teams performer.
Rader, 26, is in his third season with the Steelers. He will be activated for the first time this season. He also played while being activated from the practice squad in Week 17 of the 2020 season and in the team’s Wild Card game against Cleveland in January. In those games, Rader did not record any offensive statistics, but he had three tackles on special teams.
A Pine-Richland and Youngstown State alum, Rader joined the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2018, before coming home to the Steelers as a street free agent in advance of the 2019 season.
Players can be elevated from the practice squad for a gameday and then return without clearing waivers a maximum of two times per season.