Steelers Now
A former running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been released by the Minnesota Vikings just days before their Week 4 meeting.
The Minnesota Vikings have released former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Xazavian Valladay just a few days before their Week 4 matchup in Dublin, Ireland, the team announced.
Valladay, 27, briefly played for the Steelers during the 2023 season, signing with the club on Aug. 15 and being released on Aug. 29 as part of the team’s final roster cuts. He never recorded a stat in Pittsburgh.
Valladay began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was signed by the Houston Texans shortly after but was released about four months later.
Following his short stint in Pittsburgh, Valladay joined the New York Jets practice squad, where he remained for the majority of the 2023 season.
On Aug. 27, 2024, Valladay was waived by the Jets and re-signed to the practice squad. He was released on September 11.
Valladay was then signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad on Nov. 6, 2024. He signed a reserve/future contract with New Orleans on Jan. 6, 2025 but was waived by the Saints on June 20.
He then joined the Vikings this offseason, was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts and signed to the practice squad the next day.
A 6-foot, 200-pound Chicago native, Valladay played his collegiate football at Arizona State and Wyoming.
In his one season with the Sun Devils, Valladay played in 10 games, rushing 215 times for 1,192 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns. He led the team with 1,481 all-purpose yards.
Before his one season at ASU, Valladay was one of the best running backs in Wyoming history. He played four seasons with the Cowboys, racking up 3,281 yards and 19 touchdowns, leaving Laramie as the second-leading rusher in program history.
Valladay showed elite speed during the pre-draft process, running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and posting a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-3 broad jump. His overall Relative Athletic Score came in at a 9.46 out of 10.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Vikings Release Former Steelers RB Ahead of Week 4 Matchup
