Steelers Pursued Another Ex-Patriots Defender Days Before New England Matchup
The Pittsburgh Steelers added former New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley ahead of the two team’s Week 3 matchup. But Bentley wasn’t the only former Patriots defender the Steelers considered this past week.
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders reported Friday the team invited outside linebacker Titus Leo for a workout early in the week.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers tried out yet another former member of the New England Patriots this week, bringing outside linebacker Titus Leo to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Monday, according to the NFL transactions page,” wrote Saunders.
“Leo, 26, is a 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher that could help the Steelers’ depth after losing starter Alex Highsmith to a high ankle sprain.”
Bentley and Leo play different positions. Therefore, Pittsburgh’s decision this week wasn’t necessarily one or the other.
But after releasing receiver Rakim Jarrett and tight end JJ Galbreath on Tuesday, the team only added Bentley and wideout Isaiah Hodgins.
Steelers Show Interest in Titus Leo, Sign Different Ex-Patriots LB
The Steelers have suddenly showed tremendous interest in former Patriots defenders.
On September 10, the Steelers officially signed safety Jabrill Peppers to a one-year contract. While a former Cleveland Browns draft pick, Peppers played for the Patriots from 2022-24.
During the 2023 season, Peppers lined up for a career-high 955 defensive snaps for New England. He averaged 62 defensive snaps per game last season in six contests.
Bentley and Leo were also each on the Patriots roster in 2024. Bentley dressed for two games while Leo played in four contests.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Leo at No. 211 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The edge rusher spent his rookie season on injured reserve and then began his second NFL campaign on the Colts practice squad. Leo never appeared in a regular season game for Indianapolis.
The Patriots claimed Leo off the Colts practice squad in November 2024. He posted four combined tackles, including one tackle for loss and one pass defense in four contests. Leo played nine defensive snaps and 77 special teams snaps for New England.
This summer, Leo spent parts of training camp with the Browns and Tennessee Titans.
As Saunders mentioned, Alex Highsmith will not play against the Patriots in Week 3. Nick Herbig will likely start opposite T.J. Watt at edge rusher.
The Steelers also have rookie edge rusher Jack Sawyer and signed DeMarvin Leal from their practice squad for additional depth.
Steelers Host Linemen for Workouts on Friday
The Steelers allowed Leo to leave their facility early in the week without a contract. The team could still sign the linebacker, but the Steelers now appear focused on potentially adding offensive line depth.
NFL Trade Rumors’ Jonathan Comeaux reported the Steelers hosted five offensive linemen for workouts two days before facing the Patriots — offensive tackles Karsen Barnhart, Sebastian Gutierrez, Lorenzo Thompson, and Leroy Watson, along with guard Chris Glaser.
Ironically, both Gutierrez and Watson began their first NFL regular seasons on the Patriots practice squad. Their stints didn’t overlap each other, but both were with New England in 2022.
Gutierrez went on to appear in regular season games with the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. Watson played for the Browns in 2023 and then started four games with the Titans last season.
Glaser also has brief experience as an NFL starter in his career. Barnhart and Thompson have never appeared in an NFL regular season game.
Buccaneers Get Update on Emeka Egbuka Ahead of Week 3 Game
With star wide receiver Chris Godwin yet to play a game this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had to fill the void in the receiving corps alongside future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. Fortunately, the Bucs have been able to do just that, with the emergence of rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka.
Through the first three games of his NFL career, Egbuka has exploded on the scene on the professional level, as he caught eight passes from star quarterback Baker Mayfield for 96 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Bucs Rising Star Dealing With Multiple Injuries
Unfortunately for the Bucs, the promising young rookie is dealing with hip and groin injuries heading into Week 3. Although Egbuka is officially listed as questionable, head coach Todd Bowles appears optimistic about his standout rookie’s status after Friday’s practice.
“He’s questionable right now,” Bowles said via Nick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We’ll see Sunday morning. We have to see how he’s feeling after today.”
When asked if Egbuka practiced on Friday, Bowles admitted that the Ohio State product did get some work in, which is obviously a good sign with the Bucs’ Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets set for Sunday.
“In a limited role, yes,” Bowles said.
Bucs may Have Another Star Wide Receiver in the Making
When it comes to the wide receiver position for the Bucs, all the attention is given to Evans and Godwin, and for good reason. The two veterans are arguably one of the best duos in the league when healthy, but Godwin has struggled to stay healthy, playing only seven games last season.
With Egbuka showing promise, especially as a threat in the red zone, Mayfield can get the passing game firing on all cylinders during the 2025 campaign. The Bucs will be sporting a 2-0 record heading into Sunday’s game against the Jets, with both wins coming on the road against formidable opponents.
Mayfield and company got the best of the division rival Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, pulling off a three-point win. Tampa Bay followed that performance up with a win against the Houston Texans in Week 2, with a game-winning touchdown from Rachaad White with six seconds left in the game.
Obviously, it’s not ideal that the first two games were won by such a small margin, with Mayfield needing to pull off some late-game heroics. However, the Bucs have shown some resilience and appear to be the team to beat in the NFC South once again.
The Week 3 matchup with the Jets will be Tampa Bay’s home opener at Raymond James Stadium. It’ll be an ideal opportunity to remain undefeated while taking advantage of a new-look Jets squad led by Justin Fields that has struggled throughout the first two weeks of the season, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills in consecutive games to begin the 2025 campaign.
Egbuka being on the field definitely gives the Bucs a solid chance of improving to 3-0 while increasing their lead in the division standings and putting the league on notice that Tampa Bay might be the real deal this season.
