Steelers Release Former Michigan Star Cornerback

The Steelers have released former Michigan star cornerback Lavert Hill, the team announced.

Hill joined the team on August 14th after Duke Dawson suffered a knee injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of the team’s defensive back overhaul at the time. Hill will be subject to waivers before he can sign to a team or practice squad this season.

Pittsburgh signed Hill from the team as part of the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. Hill, 24, played for the BattleHawks this spring after a three-year NFL career split between five teams. He played in the team’s final two preseason games, registering one tackle and being targeted once.

The 5-foot-190, 190-pound Michigan product first joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent three months on the Kansas City practice squad, and also with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020-21, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers in 2021 and Cleveland Browns in 2022.

Hill was waived with an injury designation during Cleveland training camp, ending his season. Through three years on NFL rosters with five different teams, Hill has never played in a regular season game.

He appeared in two preseason games with the Eagles in 2021, including one game against the Steelers, and totaled four tackles, and three with the Browns in 2022, collecting ten tackles and a hurry.

Joining the XFL this spring, Hill played in ten games for St. Louis and started four. He recorded two interceptions and 25 tackles and was named an All-XFL cornerback.

At Michigan, Hill was a two-year starter in 2018 and 2019 for the Wolverines. Over his career, he racked up six interceptions and 20 pass deflections while playing a significant role from the middle of his sophomore year onwards. His senior season was his best season, nabbing three interceptions and nine pass deflections over the course of 12 games that season.