Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing former Washington Commanders safety Darrick Forrest to their practice squad, according to a report by NFL Network.
The Steelers are in need of safety help after starting strong safety DeShon Elliott suffered a knee injury against the Green Bay Packers last week, and is expected to miss playing time.
Forrest, 26, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with Washington after joining that team as a fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati in the 2021 NFL Draft.
This season, he spent time with the Buffalo Bills and with the Indianapolis Colts, who released him from their practice squad on Sept. 13. The Steelers will play the Colts this week at Acrisure Stadium.
A 5-foot-11, 206-pound free safety, Forrest largely played a coverage role in his four seasons with the Commanders, with 734 of his 1,277 career snaps coming in a center-field or half-field coverage alignment. In his career, he has an 81.0 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus.
His best season statistically came in 2022, when he started 11 games and recorded 88 tackles, one for a loss, nine passes defended, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
A shoulder injury cost him most of the 2023 season, and he lost his starting job when the Commanders installed Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator in 2024. He became a free agent in 2025 and signed with Buffalo, but was cut coming out of training camp and caught on with the Colts practice squad.
Forrest has high-end athleticism for the safety position, posting a 4.42-second 40-yard dash a 39-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump in pre-draft testing for a 9.68 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.
The Steelers also worked out two other safeties on Tuesday, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, brining Vonn Bell and Eddie Jackson to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Sign Veteran Safety after DeShon Elliott Injury
