Steelers bring back Valdes-Scantling with two receivers on injured reserve

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their practice squad Tuesday, bringing back a familiar receiver while Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are on injured reserve.

The move adds an option for a depleted group ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 7 game against New Orleans in Paris. Valdes-Scantling begins on the practice squad; the announcement does not put him on the active roster for that game.

Receiver depth before Paris

In his review of Pittsburgh’s updated depth chart, Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle identified DK Metcalf and Germie Bernard as the starting receivers. Ben Skowronek occupies the next spot while dealing with an injury, and Kaden Wetjen is the other receiver on the active roster.

The Steelers used practice-squad elevations for Brandon Johnson and Brandon Smith on Sunday. Neither received a target, McCorkle reported. Valdes-Scantling gives Pittsburgh another experienced receiver to consider as it prepares for the Saints, with his eventual game status still to be determined.

A second stint in Pittsburgh

Valdes-Scantling played five games for the Steelers last season after joining their practice squad and moving to the 53-man roster in December. He started once and finished with 10 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, according to the team.

He spent time with Dallas this year before joining the Chargers. Los Angeles used him in three games, during which he caught two passes for 22 yards.

Pittsburgh’s announcement lists 119 career appearances, including 70 starts, with 221 receptions for 3,708 yards and 21 touchdowns. Green Bay drafted him in the fifth round in 2018; his subsequent stops included Kansas City, Buffalo, New Orleans and San Francisco.

His return gives the Steelers a player who knows the organization as they work through two receiver absences. An elevation or a move to the active roster would be a separate decision from Tuesday’s signing.

Sources

• Steelers confirm Valdes-Scantling practice-squad signing, October 20
• Ross McCorkle: Steelers Week 7 depth chart and depleted receiver room

Discussion: Pittsburgh’s receiver options

Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss the practice-squad return and receiver depth in their October 20 program.

• Steelers Now: Should Steelers Still Seek WR Help?