Wide receiver DK Metcalf won’t be the only former Seattle Seahawks player dressing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. The Steelers announced Saturday they have elevated linebacker Jon Rhattigan from their practice squad for Sunday’s home opener.
Pittsburgh will host the Seahawks at 1 pm ET on September 14.
“The Steelers elevated linebacker Jon Rhattigan from the practice squad to the Active/Inactive Roster for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium,” Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley wrote. “He will revert back to the practice squad after the game.”
Rhattigan first joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He spent three seasons with the organization, appearing in 36 games from 2021-23.
Last season, Rhattigan played for the Carolina Panthers.
Sunday will be linebacker’s 2025 and Steelers debut. Pittsburgh signed Rhattigan to its practice squad on September 2, which was five days before the regular season began.
LB Jon Rhattigan Set to Make Steelers Debut
With Rhattigan added to the game day roster, the Steelers will have extra linebacker depth versus the Seahawks. Although he’s never started an NFL game, Rhattigan has 52 games of experience in the league.
Most of that experience has come on special teams. With the Panthers during 2024, Rhattigan played 82% of the team’s special teams snaps in the 16 games in which he played. Overall, he lined up for a career-high 369 snaps on special teams last season.
In three of his previous four NFL campaigns, Rhattigan has played at least 250 special teams snaps.
Despite playing 52 NFL games, the linebacker has appeared on defense for just 20 snaps. Of those snaps, 19 of them occurred for the Seahawks in 2023.
During his college career, Rhattigan played three seasons at Army. In his final college season during 2020, he posted 78 combined tackles, including nine tackles for loss. The linebacker also had two pass defenses, two interceptions and 1.5 sacks.
Rhattigan has posted 44 combined tackles and one fumble recovery in the NFL.
Steelers Injury Report Entering Week 2 Seahawks Matchup
A lot of NFL teams use practice squad elevations to add insurance at a position dealing with an injury. That’s the case for the Steelers as well for Week 2.
The Steelers placed linebacker Malik Harrison on injured reserve Wednesday. Harrison is a depth inside linebacker who played 16 special teams snaps and four snaps on defense for the team during Week 1.
For Week 2, the Steelers have three other linebackers on the injury report — T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. However, all three of those linebackers are considered edge rushers.
Rhattigan rarely plays defense, but if he does against the Seahawks on Sunday, it will very likely be in Harrison’s role in the middle of the unit.
Therefore, Rhattigan’s elevation shouldn’t been seen as a negative indication that Watt, Highsmith or Herbig won’t play versus the Seahawks. Watt will definitely play, as he was only on the injury report because of rest on Wednesday.
Herbig didn’t play in Week 1, but he fully practiced Thursday and Friday. Highsmith was limited in practice Friday.
Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson are Pittsburgh’s starting inside linebackers. The Steelers also have veteran Cole Holcomb and rookie seventh-round pick Carson Bruener available to play inside.
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