Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers released outside linebacker Kenny Willekes in their initial round of roster cuts on Friday. Willekes signed with the Steelers on Tuesday after a tryout on Monday.
A seventh-round pick of the Vikings in the 2020 NFL Draft, he spent three seasons in Minnesota, but dealt with significant injury issues. He played just six games with the Vikings, recording 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one pass defended.
Willekes was released by the Vikings in 2023, and spent the last two springs playing for the Michigan Panthers of the UFL. He played nine games in 2024, recording 20 tackles and four sack, and then nine games this spring, including seven starts, racking up 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The Steelers are dealing with a couple of injuries at the outside linebacker position. Alex Highsmith has been out since the middle of training camp with a groin injury and Nick Herbig suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday’s second preseason game that keep him out for the preseason finale against Carolina.
That left the Steelers with just four other outside linebackers on the roster, excluding All-Pro T.J. Watt who did not play in the preseason.
The 6-foot-3, 264-pound Willekes is a Rockford, Michigan native and walked on to Michigan State in 2015. He became a starter in 2017 and was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the year after his 2018 season. He set the MSU career record for tackles for loss and won the 2019 Burlsworth Trophy as college football’s best former walk on.
Willekes had average pre-draft testing running numbers, with a 4.87-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine, but put up a strong 32 reps on the bench press. He had an overall Relative Athletic Score of 7.29.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Cut Ties with Powerful Michigan State Alum
