With fullback/tight end David Johnson lost for the season due to a torn ACL, the Steelers have added a 10-year veteran at the fullback/tight end position.
The team has added veteran tight end Justin Peelle,who spent 2011 with the 49ers. Previously, Peelle played for the Falcons, Dolphins, and Chargers. He has played fullback in the past, and likely will do so in the immediate future.
The move makes sense, given that unproven Will Johnson was the only fullback on the roster.
To create a roster spot for Peelle, the Steelers placed David Johnson on the waived/injured list, which means that the rest of the league will have a crack at claiming his contract, just as the Pats did with Giants tight end Jake Ballard in the offseason.
UPDATE 9:48 p.m. ET: Making David Johnson less attractive for a waivers claim is the fact that he will be an unrestricted free agent in March. As a result, anyone who claims him for a season in which he won’t play will potentially lose him after the season in which he won’t play.