The Pittsburgh Steelers have confirmed a significant addition to their roster, enhancing their overall talent and depth. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still actively looking to acquire a WR2 through a trade before the NFL trade deadline on November 5.
However, on October 25, they signed veteran receiver Andy Isabella to their practice squad, as announced on social media. Isabella began his NFL journey as a second-round pick for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 draft, spending parts of four seasons with them. He also had a brief stint with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 and played for the Buffalo Bills last season, where he participated in training camp and the preseason before being released during final roster cuts.
In his career, Isabella has played in 39 games, recording 33 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns. He has also rushed for 10 yards on six attempts, averaged 21.2 yards per kickoff return on nine returns, and has one punt return to his name.
The Steelers have been seeking ways to enhance their wide receiver corps since trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers at the start of 2024 free agency. Although they’ve been close to making significant trades for players like Brandon Aiyuk, they haven’t finalized any deals.
Instead, they’ve opted to sign previously promising receivers like Isabella. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had projected Isabella as a potential late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick in the 2019 draft, labeling him as a “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter.” This led to some criticism of the Cardinals for selecting him late in the second round.
Despite this promise, Isabella never became a starter in Arizona, and his performance in Baltimore and Buffalo was similarly underwhelming. As a rookie in 2019, he caught nine passes for 189 yards and one touchdown, followed by 21 receptions for 224 yards and two scores in his second season. Since then, he has not exceeded two catches in any season and has only logged 105 offensive snaps over the past three years.
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