The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again bringing up one of their training camp standouts from the practice squad.
Ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Steelers have announced that they've elevated wide receiver Brandon Smith for a second-straight week.
He's not the only receiver Pittsburgh is elevating, though, as Brandon Johnson will be joining Smith amidst the team's injury issues at the position.
Smith's Steelers Debut
Smith generated a fair amount of hype during Pittsburgh's stay at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe this summer, earning some first-team reps and generally looking like he belonged as part of the team's offense.
The 27-year-old suffered an injury in the Steelers' preseason opener vs. the Green Bay Packers, though, which kept him out for the remaining two contests of the exhibition slate.
Smith was later let go at final roster cuts before landing back on Pittsburgh's practice squad. He hadn't been elevated until the team's Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts, however, after Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) was placed on the reserve/injured list.
The expectation was that Smith wouldn't see the field much, if at all, on offense heading into that contest. Once Roman Wilson (finger) and Ben Skowronek (calf) both suffered injuries in the first half that kept them out for the rest of the game, though, Smith suddenly became the Steelers' No. 3 receiver behind DK Metcalf and Germie Bernard.
Though he didn't finish with a catch, Smith did play 16 snaps on offense and four on special teams in what marked his regular season debut for the black and gold.
What Role Will Smith Have vs. Tampa Bay?
While speaking with reporters earlier this week, Aaron Rodgers commended Smith and said that he expects him to make an impact whenever he's out on the field for the Steelers.
“He cooked a lot of guys in the [practice] squad. I mean, every single day, B. Smith was making plays,” Rodgers said. “I think he really transformed his body too. Lost a little bit of weight, got a little faster. He’s a smart guy. He’s quiet, goes about his business, very professional. Very, very good in practice. Shows a lot of things. I have a lot of trust in him. Knows the plan every week even when he’s been down, and so I expect B. Smith to be able to step in and play as well as he possibly can.”
Smith, who was a crucial blocker on Jaylen Warren's 50-yard touchdown run in the win over the Colts last week, spent the 2024 season as Rodgers' teammate while residing on the New York Jets' practice squad and appearing in one regular season game for the team, so the two have some sort of history with one another prior to reuniting in Pittsburgh.
Metcalf and Bernard will get a lion's share of the reps at receiver with Wilson and Skowronek out while the Steelers are also likely to run plenty of 12 personnel as a means of getting Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington on the field at the same time.
However, Smith should still see the field a decent amount and have some opportunities to make a difference for Pittsburgh against Tampa Bay.
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