Steelers sign WR to practice squad, release S Jalen Elliott
Pittsburgh adds an athletic wide receiver.
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The Steelers announced a roster move on Tuesday, adding wide receiver Jacob Copeland to their practice squad and releasing safety Jalen Elliott in a corresponding roster move.
If the name Jacob Copeland sounds familiar, that’s because he spent time on the Steelers’ practice squad earlier this season. You can read what we wrote about him when he first joined the Steelers in September:
Copeland was an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida and Maryland, recording 112 catches, 1,742 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns over his five years at the NCAA level. His best college year came in 2021 as a Gator, in which Copeland had 41 catches for 642 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Copeland tested well at the 2023 NFL Combine, running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein noted that the 6’0, 202-pound receiver was an “explosive athlete with NFL size and traits but lacking an NFL skill set at the position” in his draft profile of Copeland.
Safety Jalen Elliott, who was released to make room for Copeland, has also had two stints on the Steelers this season. While no announcement has been made regarding why he was released, the Steelers moving on from a reserve safety points to the possibility of Minkah Fitzpatrick returning to full health.
Mike Tomlin says Diontae Johnson ‘needs to answer for’ actions vs. Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson garnered plenty of attention following the team’s 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but for all the wrong reasons.
On a third-and-2 inside the red zone late in the first quarter, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren fumbled the ball just short of the first-down marker. Johnson didn’t move off the line of scrimmage or attempt to block his defender, cornerback D.J. Turner, who subsequently picked up the loose ball and returned it 20 yards close to midfield.
Even if you accept Diontae Johnson’s answer that he never saw Jaylen Warren fumble, he doesn’t even try to chase after the ball after he sees it going the other way. Total non-effort.
Johnson turned his back on the play and watched Turner sprint away without making an effort to chase him down despite being one of the closest Steelers to him. Johnson’s nonchalance during the play certainly didn’t sit right with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who said the 27-year-old wideout needs to take accountability for his actions.
“It’s something that he needs to answer for, and so I’ll give him an opportunity to do that,” Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday. “His teammates will give him an opportunity to do that, and I won’t provide any color until he does.”
Johnson’s lack of effort on the play is one thing, but he didn’t do himself any favors after the game when he told reporters, including Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, that he didn’t attempt to recover Warren’s fumble because he didn’t see it, stating he was busy “blocking or whatever it is,” despite there being video evidence to the contrary.
“Diontae can’t let the emotions of the previous down affect his next down, but I’ll give him an opportunity to address that with [the media],” Tomlin said. “I’ll give him an opportunity to address that with his teammates. I think plays like that are best described and outlined by those involved and less so by guys like me. I keep my attention on challenging things, things that await us this week.”
