BE.BREAKING: The Pittsburgh Steelers just reshaped their roster with some muscle—and it comes from former Patriots quarterback Ja’Whaun Bentley! After cutting WR Rakim Jarrett and TE JJ Galbreath from the practice squad, Mike Tomlin’s team immediately added the seven-year veteran, the Run Sweeper, with over 500 tackles and a reputation for hitting opponents to the ground.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made four roster moves on September 16, according to the daily NFL transaction log and Steelers Now beat reporter Alan Saunders, among others.
The first was reported earlier in the day, as Pittsburgh signed a new wide receiver, but another addition — plus the two corresponding cuts — surfaced on Tuesday evening.
“The Steelers released WR Rakim Jarrett and TE JJ Galbreath from their practice squad,” Saunders relayed on X. He added that Pittsburgh “hosted nearly a dozen players for tryouts, including ex-Steelers TE Matt Sokol and LB Jacoby Windmon.”
Jarrett only signed with the organization on September 8, but Galbreath has been with the Steelers all summer.
Just like that, he’s gone, and taking the rookie tight end’s place is veteran linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley.
“Former [New England] Patriots LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, who spent seven seasons in New England, is signing with the Steelers practice squad, per source,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported later that night.
Saunders also confirmed this signing, noting earlier that “the Steelers hosted free agent LB Ja’Whaun Bentley for a visit today, per the NFL transactions page.” The Pittsburgh beat reporter described Bentley as a “big thumper of a run stopper [who] spent seven seasons with the Patriots.”
Ja’Whaun Bentley Supplies Muscle After Steelers Let Elandon Roberts Walk in Free Agency
Bentley’s arrival is basically Pittsburgh admitting that they made a mistake when they let veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts walk in free agency.
The former Patriots teammates are extremely similar players, with Bentley being the slightly younger version of the recent Steelers departure. Now, with Pittsburgh lacking that grit within their inside linebacker core, a new thumper enters the scene.
As New England changed hands from the last coaching regime to new HC Mike Vrabel, Bentley was replaced and moved on from. However, he was a starter and a staple of the Patriots’ defense from 2020 through 2023, recording 509 total regular season tackles and 10.5 sacks over his seven-year run with the AFC East team.
On top of those numbers, Bentley also forced 4 fumbles, intercepted 2 passes, broke up 11 more, and achieved 21 tackles for a loss. He’s known for his ability to stop the run and contribute on early downs — something Pittsburgh sorely needs right now.
Steelers Have 14 Missed Tackles Through 2 Games
The Steelers’ defense has not been nearly as good as it was supposed to be heading into Week 1, allowing big point totals against the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
There have been several issues on this side of the ball, but one problem has been tackling. Through the first two weeks of the season, the Steelers have missed 14 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.
Bentley should help with that, but others must clean up their technique and performance as well.
Four players have two missed tackles already. They are cornerback Darius Slay, safety Juan Thornhill, defensive lineman Yahya Black and linebacker Payton Wilson.
Needless to say, the latter may be the most key member of the culprits in this discussion, and a major reason for Bentley’s presence. Wilson was elevated into the starting role in 2025, and the Steelers let Roberts go thinking he as ready for the job.
If he falters, at least Pittsburgh now has a proper veteran insurance policy prepped behind him.
