Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted veteran linebacker Jon Rhattigan for a free agent visit on Monday, according to the NFL transactions report.
Rhattigan, a West Point alum, has played four NFL seasons, split his five NFL seasons between the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers.
The 6-foot, 236 pound Army product joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He was waived coming out of training camp, but was re-signed to the practice squad and then quickly elevated to the Seahawks’ active roster.
Rhattigan played in 14 games as a rookie, with all of his 250 snaps coming on special teams. He recorded 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.
An injury in January 2022 prematurely ended his rookie season and also cost him most of the 2022 season, limited him to five games after being active from the PUP list on Dec. 10.
Rhattigan played in all 17 games for Seattle in 2023, getting his first playing time on defense, as well as being a special teams regular. He played 301 snaps of special teams, working on all four kickoff and punt phases.
Waiving coming out of training camp by the Seahawks in 2024, Rhattigan was claimed by the Carolina Panthers. He appeared in 16 games for Carolina last season, setting a career high with 370 snaps. He was a five-phase special teamer for the Panthers, also working on the field goal block unit.
Rhattigan played in all three preseason games for the Panthers this summer, including against the Steelers in Week 3. He was released in the final round of cuts last week.
The Steelers are thin at the linebacker position, after Mark Robinson chose to sign with the New England Patriots after being waived by Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have five linebackers on their 53-man roster — Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison and Carson Bruener — but none on their practice squad. The team typically has dressed five inside linebackers for most games over the last few seasons.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Host Free Agent Linebacker for Visit
