It's not the monumental move we've been waiting for, but it's... movement. On the final day of Pittsburgh Steelers' OTAs, the front office made a decision to swap players in the defensive backfield. The Steelers announced that they have signed defensive back Quindell Johnson. In a corresponding move, the team released safety Joshua Bledsoe, the team announced on Thursday.
Bledsoe originally signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers in January. The NFL safety was a former sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2021 NFL Draft. Bledsoe first made his way onto the field for an NFL game in Week 3 of the 2022 season.
After suiting up for the Patriots in 2022 and 2023, Bledsoe wasn't able to find a home in the NFL for the 2024 season, and he ultimately signed with the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League. His shot with the Steelers proved to be short-lived, and Bledsoe will be back looking for work.
New Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Quindell Johnson has ball skills
In his place, the Steelers added Quindell Johnson, who was originally an undrafted free agent signed by the LA Rams following the 2023 NFL Draft. Johnson didn't make Los Angeles' roster, but signed with the Chicago Bears as a rookie, where he suited up for nine games and recorded three tackles on 106 special-teams snaps.
Like Bledsoe, Johnson never suited up for an NFL game during the 2024 season. Johnson will now take Bledsoe's place on the 90-man summer roster to round out Pittsburgh's depth in the secondary.
Prior to going undrafted in 2023, Johnson was a five-year defensive back for the Memphis Tigers. As a redshirt senior in 2022, Johnson recorded 77 combined tackles and four interceptions. During his college career, Johnson recorded 10 interceptions and 24 passes defended. His next shot to put these ball skills on display will come during the Steelers' mandatory minicamp, beginning on June 10.
Johnson still has a daunting path to crack the 53-man roster, as this would likely take multiple injuries in the secondary. Still, a spot on the practice squad isn't out of reach with a strong summer.