Steelers Sign former NY Jets Linebacker

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed former New York Jets linebacker Caleb Johnson to their practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday.

Johnson joined the Jets this spring as an undrafted free agent out of Miami. He played in four preseason games with the Jets, recording 13 tackles, but was released in August and has not been with another team in the meantime.

A 6-foot-1, 235-pound native of Murrieta, California, Johnson started his college career at Texas, where he redshirted one season. Then he transferred to Fullerton College before joining UCLA and then the Hurricanes. He played in two seasons with the Bruins and one in Coral Gables. In total, he recorded 137 tackles, 11 for a loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defended.

His best season came in 2020 at UCLA, when he had 44 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks an interception and a forced fumble.

The Steelers have one other linebacker on their pratice squad, Tariq Carpenter, and Johnson will join him behind starters Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts and backup Mark Robinson in that unit.

The move came as part of a series of four practice squad transactions on Tuesday, with the club also signing tight end Scotty Washington and releasing tight end Noah Gindorff and tackle Obinna Eze. The Steelers still only have 52 players out of the maximum of 53 on their active roster.