Steelers Waive OLB Jamir Jones

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed outside linebacker Jamir Jones on waivers, the team announced on Tuesday.

Jones, 23, had made his NFL debut with the Steelers in the team’s season opener at Buffalo. In three games, he played 36 snaps of defense, with 20 coming in Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.  Jones was credited with three tackles.

With injuries to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, Jones was pressed into the starting lineup alongside Melvin Ingram in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The depleted lineup failed to sack Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, snapping the Steelers’ streak of 75 games with at least one sack. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones rushed the passer 22 times in three games, and 11 against Cincinnati, without recording a sack, hit or hurry. 

As the game against the Bengals went on, Derrek Tuszka, who was a game-day elevation from the practice squad, earned more playing time than Jones, and finished with 27 snaps to Jones’ 20. Jones was waived in order to make room for Tuszka’s promotion to the active roster on Tuesday.

An undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2020, Jones spent time with the Houston Texans but was waived early in training camp and did not catch on with another team. He signed with the Steelers in April and was buried deep on the depth chart through the summer, but out-played veteran Cassius Marsh and sixth-round draft pick Quincy Roche in training camp and the preseason, where he led the team in tackles.

Marsh remains a free agent. Roche was claimed by the New York Giants and played in his first game on Sunday.

Jones will go through waivers between now and Wednesday afternoon. If he clears, he could be re-added to the Steelers’ practice squad.