The Pittsburgh Steelers made a flurry of moves Monday morning. They announced the re-signing of ILB Steven Johnson, waived/injured S Jordan Dangerfield, and placed CB Cam Sutton on IR.
Johnson was part of final cutdowns. Like last year, the team probably had an agreement to bring him back given that he is a veteran and not subject to being claimed off waivers. Sutton to IR was an expected move after re-aggravating his hamstring injury in the preseason finale. Because he was carried on the initial 53 man roster, he is eligible to return after eight weeks.
The Steelers do not have to declare him as their “to return” player, that rule was nixed during the offseason, and each team is allowed to bring two players back.
Dangerfield is the most surprising pieces of news. Initial reports said his ankle injury was not severe and seemed to open the door for him playing Week One against the Cleveland Browns. Assuming he passes through waivers, he’ll revert to the team’s IR list as well. The decision also helps explain trading to J.J. Wilcox, who the team acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday afternoon.
The Steelers roster sits at 54 players. They have been granted a temporary roster exemption for Le’Veon Bell, allowing them to carry one over the limit.
