Jaylon Smith and the Steelers have reached an agreement on a contract. The former Cowboys linebacker was released by the Raiders.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Jaylon Smith, a free agent linebacker, as confirmed by his agent Doug Henderson. According to information from Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the Steelers plan to initially place Smith on the practice squad.
Smith, with seven seasons of experience in the NFL, has played for various teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders. His most recent stint was with the Raiders, who signed him from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad on November 2. He contributed to a victory over the Giants on November 5, registering two solo tackles. However, the Raiders waived Smith on November 22.
Having played his last full season with the Giants in 2022, Smith secured the second-highest number of tackles for the team with 88. His standout years were with the Dallas Cowboys, where he averaged 139 tackles from 2018 to 2020 and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019.
Smith, who had a promising start at Notre Dame but faced a setback with a torn ACL and MCL during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, made a remarkable comeback. Despite being selected 34th overall by the Cowboys, he had to sit out the 2016 season for recovery.
Now joining the Steelers, who are still in contention for a playoff spot with an 8-7 record, Smith provides additional linebacker depth. The Steelers are tied with three other teams for the third AFC wild card spot, and although the Indianapolis Colts currently hold the tiebreaker, the Steelers have a chance to secure the last spot. The team faces the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in a crucial game.
