Steelers Now
Veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett has been granted his release by the Tennessee Titans, according to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN, the latest domino to fall in the wide receiver market, while the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to search for a solution at that position.
Lockett, 33, has played seven games since joining the Titans as a free agent this offseason, but has just 10 catches and has not been a big part of the passing offense. Tennessee has already fired head coach Brian Callahan and is clearly building for the future with rookie quarterback Cam Ward. On a one-year contract and little used, Lockett is clearly not a part of that future in Nashville.
He will be placed on waivers, where teams will have a chance to claim him and absorb the remainder of his $4 million guaranteed contract. If he clears, that money will revert to the Titans’ salary cap as a dead cap hit and he will be free to sign with any team on Wednesday.
A 5-foot-10, 182-pound receiver, Lockett has played both in the slot and outside over his career, but played overwhelmingly in the slot for Tennessee this season (82.6 percent of his snaps, per PFF).
Before joining the Titans this offseason, he spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, racking up 8,594 yards and 399 touchdowns. He was named to three All-Pro teams and one Pro Bowl and also led the NFL in kickoff return yards in 2017. He was released by the Seahawks in March.
The Steelers are reportedly still in the market for a wide receiver, but have yet to make a move since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in May.
An injury to Calvin Austin III, who has missed the last two games, has exacerbated the team’s lack of depth at the position, but the Steelers also just scored 31 points in their Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, with Roman Wilson recording the first two-catch game of his career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Veteran Wide Receiver Hits Waiver Wire, Fit for Steelers?
