Steelers Waive Injured DB Antoine Brooks Jr.

The Steelers have waived injured safety Antoine Brooks Jr., the team announced on Tuesday.

Brooks has missed most of the last two weeks of practice with a left hamstring injury and did not play in the team’s third preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

A 2020 sixth-round pick out of Maryland, Brooks played did not make the team last season, but was added to the practice squad and eventually elevated to the roster.

After playing mostly at safety in 2020, he was moved to slot corner this season, and had been the team’s first option to replace Mike Hilton as a Nickel corner before his injury.

With Brooks out, Arthur Maulet took up the mantle of starting Nickel corner, until he was also injured. The Steelers moved outside corner Cam Sutton inside against the Lions, and replaced him on the outside with second-year man James Pierre.

If Brooks clears waivers, he will revert to the team’s injured reserve list and the Steelers will retain his rights going forward.

Brooks was one of five players the Steelers cut from their active roster, as part of an NFL-mandated cut-down from 85 players to 80 on Tuesday. Inside linebacker Calvin Bundage, offensive lineman Aviante Collins running back Pete Guerriero and wide receiver Tyler Simmons were all released.