The Tennessee Titans have snapped up recently released Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Kyron Johnson, according to the NFL transactions page for Wednesday.
Johnson was released by the Steelers in the club’s final cut-down to 53 players two weeks ago. The speedy outside linebacker had been fourth on the team’s depth chart, and was a surprise release, but the Steelers made the unprecedented decision to go into the season with just three healthy edge rushers.
They did so with the knowledge that Jeremiah Moon, who is on the injured reserve with a right ankle injury, can return at some point, and also thanks to the positional versatility provided by DeMarvin Leal, who has played outside linebacker in addition to defensive end this season.
Johnson had been battling Moon and David Perales for the fourth outside linebacker job behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. When Perales and Moon were both injured, it looked like Johnson had a clear path to the 53-man roster, but that turned out not to be the case. The Steelers also chose not to add him to the practice squad, adding instead former Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Ade Ogundeji.
In Tennessee, Johnson will join the practice squad and will be the team’s sixth outside backer, behind starters Harold Landry III and Arden Key, backups Caleb Murphy and Ali Gaye and 2024 seventh-round pick Jaylen Harrell.
Johnson showed promise, as he recorded six pressures in the preseason. He was in his second season with the Steelers, having joined the practice squad last October. Johnson was elevated to the team’s active roster on Dec. 22, 2023, and stayed there for the rest of the season. He appeared in six games for the Steelers last season, playing one defensive snap and 100 special teams snaps, but did not record any statistics.
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