It took more than seven weeks, but former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James has found a new team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Tuesday they waived injured wideout Cole Burgess and added Keeney-James to their roster.
Keeney-James made his NFL debut with the Packers during Week 18 last year. He started the game and caught both of his targets for 15 yards against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers brought back the receiver for the first part of the offseason. But Green Bay released him on June 15 to sign tight end Luke Lachey.
Ex-Packers WR Jakobie Keeney-James Signs With Steelers
GettyThe Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Green Bay Packers wideout Jakobie Keeney-James on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old receiver began his career last spring as an undrafted free agent for the Detroit Lions. He spent training camp in Detroit but couldn’t make the cut after the preseason.
Keeney-James was a free agent for roughly a month. But toward the end of September, he landed with the Packers practice squad.
That’s where he spent most of the season. But with Week 18 a meaningless game for the Packers, Keeney-James not only received a chance to make his NFL debut, but he started the contest.
Keeney-James played 48 offensive snaps in Week 18, which was 94% of Green Bay’s snaps on offense in the game. He also lined up for nine snaps on special teams.
In addition to the two receptions on offense, the wideout returned two kickoffs for 47 total yards.
Keeney-James went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft after playing college football at Eastern Washington and UMass. As a senior in 2024, he posted 50 receptions, 839 receiving yards and six scores for the Minutemen.
Packers WR Depth at 2026 NFL Training Camp
GettyMatt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers have 10 wide receivers on their training camp roster without Jakobie Keeney-James.
After the conclusion of spring practices, the Packers elected to lose Keeney-James and some receiver depth in exchange for picking up another tight end.
Green Bay, though, recently received bad news on Lachey. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported suffered a left foot injury last week. On Tuesday, the team waived Lachey.
As Schneidman’s post on X indicated, the Packers are undergoing significant changes at tight end. But at receiver, Green Bay is in good shape despite no longer having Keeney-James.
Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams are locks to make the roster. The team also has great depth at the position with Skyy Moore, J. Michael Sturdivant, Will Sheppard, Kaden Prather, Isaiah Neyor and Bo Melton also on the roster.
This is a big year for the Packers wideouts. The team parted with veterans Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason. Doubs left to sign with the New England Patriots in NFL free agency while Green Bay agreed to trade Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Those moves will give Golden and Williams more playing time to support Watson and Reed. This year will be about those young wideouts taking advantage of the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Keeney-James will try to take advantage of his opportunity in Pittsburgh.
If the wideout can last 10 days with the Steelers, he will see the Packers during the preseason. The Packers will visit Pittsburgh in Week 1 of the exhibition season on Thursday, August 13.
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