The Pittsburgh Steelers brought back a very familiar face on December 17. The team announced that they have signed offensive lineman John Leglue to their practice squad.
The Steelers previously released Leglue on November 12. He was with the team for about the first two and a half months of the regular season. Leglue spent most of that time on the Pittsburgh practice squad.
He also had stints with the Steelers during parts of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. Leglue appeared in six games for Pittsburgh during 2021, making five starts.
To make room for the veteran offensive lineman, the Steelers released edge rusher Ade Ogundeji. He has been on and off the Steelers practice squad throughout the 2024 season.
Steelers Sign Offensive Lineman John Leglue
With Leglue, the Steelers are adding versatile offensive lineman depth that is familiar with their organization.
During 2021, Leglue started five games for the Steelers at left guard. He also started the team’s playoff game in January 2022 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Leglue performed best in pass blocking.
Most recently, Leglue was a practice squad elevation in Week 3 for Pittsburgh.
He began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent for the Denver Broncos in 2019. He spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers during his rookie campaign as well.
Leglue made his NFL regular season debut with the Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13 of 2021. Ironically, the Steelers will face the Ravens in Leglue’s first game back with Pittsburgh on December 21.
Over the past two seasons, Leglue also had brief experiences with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.
Steelers Depart With Ade Ogundeji
The Steelers sacrificed depth at edge rusher to add Leglue to the practice squad again.
Ogundeji has dressed in three games for Pittsburgh this season. In those contests, he played 25 defensive snaps and 6 snaps on special teams.
He last appeared in a game this year during Week 8 against the New York Giants.
The Falcons selected Ogundeji in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. He posted 3 sacks with 8 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits in 32 games with Atlanta from 2021-22.
Atlanta released Ogundeji on May 16. He has bounced between the Steelers practice squad, the team’s active roster and waivers since August 30.
Even without Ogundeji, the Steelers have other edge rushers on their practice squad. But Ogundeji was the most proven option on the squad before his release.
The Steelers considering the veteran edge rusher expendable might be a sign that All-Pro T.J. Watt will be able to play in Week 16. Watt left the team’s December 15 matchup because of an ankle injury, and he only has five days of rest before Pittsburgh’s next contest.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed a positive outlook on Watt’s health while speaking to reporters on December 16.
“I’m also optimistic about the availability of T.J. based on what I’ve seen today,” Tomlin told reporters.
The Steelers also have Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Preston Smith at edge rusher on their active roster.
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