Steelers to Sign Ex-Patriots Wide Receiver/Kick Returner

The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to sign free agent wide receiver T.J. Luther, league sources told Steelers Now.

Luther, 24, worked out for the Steelers on Aug. 4. The second-year professional split the 2023 season between the New York Jets and New England Patriots.

A 5-foot-11, 180-pound Arcadia, Florida native, Luther originally attended Wofford College before transferring to Gardner-Webb for his final two collegiate seasons. He joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent last spring, and played in four preseason games with New York last summer, but did not record any statistics in 33 offensive snaps.

Luther was released by the Jets after training camp, and caught on for two stints with the New England Patriots practice squad, first from Sept. 1 to Oct. 18 and then from Nov. 7 to the end of the season. He did not play in any games for New England. Luther re-signed with the Patriots for the 2024 season, but was released on June 6.

As a redshirt senior at Gardner-Webb in 2022, Luther caught 55 passes for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns and was a first-team All-Big South wide receiver. In 2021, he was an all-conference kickoff returner, with seven returns for 179 yards in addition to his 23 receptions for 384 yards and four touchdowns.

Prior to transferring to GWU, Luther spent three seasons at Wofford. His best season was in 2019, when he started seven games and caught 19 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Terriers to an FCS playoffs berth.

Luther showed solid explosiveness in pre-draft testing, putting up a 39-inch vertical and a 10-foot-7 broad jump. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and had an overall 5.86 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.

Steelers wide receiver Tarik Black suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and missed the team’s practice at St. Vincent College on Monday, putting them a player down at the position.

The Steelers had a vacant roster spot ever since the sudden retirement of Markus Golden last Friday. After signing Luther, the Steelers’ 90-man offseason roster will be at the maximum.