Steelers Now
A former fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers is heading back to the AFC.
The Indianapolis Colts are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Buddy Johnson off of the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
Johnson, 26, was the Steelers’ fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Johnson was Pittsburgh’s fifth inside linebacker behind Devin Bush, Joe Schobert, Robert Spillane, Marcus Allen, and Ulysses Gilbert III and was inactive most of the season, dressing in four games when other players were injured. When he did play, it was mostly on special teams.
In total, Johnson played in 59 snaps of special teams and just six snaps of defense. He finished with just two tackles.
Johnson was waived by the Steelers on Aug. 30, 2022 and signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad shortly after. He didn’t last very long there, either, as he was released about a month later.
He then signed to the Houston Texans practice squad, where he spent the remainder of the 2022 season. Then in 2023, Johnson joined the Chicago Bears.
On Oct. 24, 2023, Johnson joined the Dallas Cowboys, who he would finally find a home with. He signed a reserve/future contract with the team in 2024. During that next season, Johnson played in 14 games, recording eight tackles and three solo.
Johnson re-signed to the Cowboys practice squad this season after being released as part of the team’s final roster cuts, but the Colts seem to like what they have seen out of him.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Johnson played college football at Texas A&M, where he racked up 210 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four passes defensed, one interception and one touchdown from 2017-20.
The Steelers are scheduled to host the Colts at Acrisure Stadium in Week 9.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers Draft Pick Signs with AFC Foe
