The Steelers were expected to make a move of some sort after head coach Mike Tomlin announced that linebacker Elandon Roberts would be out for their Week 17 matchup with the Seahawks. Well, Pittsburgh has made that move. The Steelers are signing former Cowboys Pro Bowler Jaylon Smith. Smith was a star at Notre Dame before suffering a catastrophic knee injury in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, tearing both his ACL and MCL. The Cowboys couldn’t pass up the star potential in Smith, though, and took him in the second round of that year’s draft.
Smith missed all of the 2016 season, but played in all 16 games from 2017-20, being named a Pro Bowler in 2019. His play dropped off, though. after the 2019 season and the Cowboys released Smith in the middle of the 2021 campaign. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and released after two games before spending the rest of 2021 and 2022 with the New York Giants. Smith appeared in one game with the Raiders this season and now heads to Pittsburgh.
Blackmon entered the season as a pending free agent, and he has upped his value on a new Colts deal or the open market with his level of play in 2023. The 25-year-old has enjoyed a career year with 88 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass deflections and a pair of fumble recoveries. He has been a key contributor for an Indianapolis defense which has struggled in a number of categories but ranks in the top half of the league against the pass.
