Steelers Now
Five Pittsburgh Steelers players became free agents on Monday, as the team did not renew their practice squad contracts for the 2026 season.
Tight end Jaheim Bell, cornerback Tre Flowers, wide receiver Brandon Johnson, running back Trey Sermon and tight end Matt Sokol all had their practice squad contracts expire, according to the NFL transactions page for Monday.
Those players are now free to sign reserve/future contract with any NFL team. They could also still return to the Steelers.
Of the 16 players that were on the Steelers practice squad at the end of the 2025 season, the team has already re-signed the other 11.
Bell, a 6-foot-2, 241-pound tight end, was a late addition to the practice squad, joining the club on Dec. 31 after tight end Darrell Washington was lost for the season to a broken arm.
Flowers joined the Steelers’ active roster on Dec. 25, played in one game, and then was waived and re-joined the practice squad. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound cornerback is a veteran of 98 NFL games over eight seasons.
Johnson joined the Steelers for a second stint on Dec. 24, following the suspension of DK Metcalf, but did not play in a game down the stretch run. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound wide receiver spent most of the 2025 season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad after being released by the Steelers the first time in August. He first signed with the Steelers on Aug. 28, 2024, and played in three games as a practice squad elevation in 2024.
Sermon joined the Steelers after a successful veteran tryout at rookie minicamp in the spring. The fifth-year running back played in four games this season as a practice squad call-up, but played almost exclusively on special teams.
Sokol, a 6-foot-5, 249-pound blocking tight end, joined the practice squad on Sept. 17 for his second stint with the team, and did not appear in a game. He previously was with the Steelers from July 30, 2024 to the end of last season, when his contract was not renewed.
The team currently has 82 players on its 90-man 2026 offseason roster.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Five Pittsburgh Steelers Become Free Agents as Contracts Expire
