Uniform Numbers Revealed for Two Newest Steelers

PITTSBURGH — The uniform numbers have been revealed for the two newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

New Steelers inside linebacker Jaylon Smith will wear No. 49, and new defensive back Nate Meadors will wear No. 33.

Smith will be the first Steelers player to wear No. 49 since Tariq Carpenter, who played in three games as a practice squad call-up this season before he was released following a domestic violence arrest earlier this month. 

Chapelle Russell, who wore No. 49 in preseason before he was lost for the season to a knee injury, is still on the team’s injured reserve list.

The most notable No. 49 in Steelers history was cornerback Dwayne Woodruff, who wore it from 1979-90. Other recent players include fullback Sean McHugh in 2008 and outside linebacker Cassius Marsh in 2020.

Meadors will don the No. 33 that was vacated when outside linebacker David Perales was released earlier this week. Safety Jalen Elliott, who is now wearing No. 41, also wore No. 33 on the practice squad earlier this season, as did defensive back Josiah Scott, who was signed off the practice squad by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Slot cornerback Duke Dawson wore No. 33 in the preseason before he was lost for the season to a knee injury. The last Steelers player to wear No. 33 in a regular-season game was running back Trey Edmunds in 2021.

The most notable Steelers to wear No. 33 were running backs John “Frenchy” Fuqua from 1970-76 and Merril Hoge from 1987-93. Other recent players to wear No. 33 running backs Fitzgerald Toussaint from 2015-17, Isaac Rodman from 2009-13 and Gary Russell from 2007-08. Russell Stuvaints was the last defensive back to wear the digits from 2003-05.