Veteran running back Trey Sermon returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers on their practice squad Wednesday. But Sermon may not have been the team’s first choice to fill its last remaining practice squad spot this week.
The Steelers announced signing Sermon to their practice squad Wednesday morning. A day prior, The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported the Steelers “would have liked” wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams to return.
The team placed Williams on waivers to sign veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling prior to facing the Miami Dolphins in Week 15. Valdes-Scantling caught a touchdown in the 28-15 victory.
But on Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed Williams off waivers. The move prevented the Steelers the opportunity to bring back the receiver.
Instead, the Steelers elected for a different return — Sermon. The 26-year-old running back has played four games for Pittsburgh this season.
The Steelers released Sermon on December 10 to clear roster space for offensive tackle Dylan Cook. On Monday, Cook made his first NFL star and starred versus the Dolphins.
Steelers Sign RB Trey Sermon to Practice Squad
This is the second time in the last five weeks the Steelers waived Sermon and then brought him back on the practice squad. The team released the running back on November 12 to create a roster spot for rookie quarterback Will Howard. At the time, Howard was coming off injured reserve.
Two days later, Sermon inked a deal to be back on the Steelers practice squad.
Connecting the dots, it sounds like the Steelers may have preferred Williams fill the last practice squad vacancy this week. Still, it’s not surprising Sermon has returned.
Mike Tomlin clearly values his contributions as a veteran running back and special teams player. In his four contests for the Steelers during 2025, Sermon played only one offensive snap. But he lined up for 47 snaps on special teams.
The 26-year-old returned two kicks for 51 total yards.
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Sermon at No. 88 overall in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s rushed for 505 yards and caught 22 passes for 138 yards in 46 NFL games.
In addition to the 49ers and Steelers, Sermon has played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts.
Steelers RB Depth Entering Week 16
Back on the practice squad, Sermon is one of three running backs on Pittsburgh’s taxi squad. Of the three, he has, by far, the most experience. Lew Nichols is in his second season while Max Hurleman was an undrafted rookie this past spring.
For that reason, it’s probably safe to say Sermon is the RB4 for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers, though, have a healthy running back room entering an intriguing interconference matchup with the Detroit Lions. Jaylen Warren is the team’s starter, while Kenneth Gainwell owns a significant role as a change-of-pace and pass-catching back in the Steelers offense.
Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson is also on the team’s active roster.
Tomlin has asked a lot from his running backs this season. Warren and Gainwell have both returned kicks in recent weeks.
The versatility of those two backs could limit Sermon’s opportunities as a practice squad elevation. However, Sermon has the ability to fulfill a similar type of role if something happens to Warren or Gainwell down the stretch.
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