The Pittsburgh Steelers signed cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to their active roster on Monday, claiming the veteran off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad.
The addition comes days after Pittsburgh traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys. The move supplies experienced depth in a secondary thinned by the deal and by injuries.
The Steelers confirmed the transaction in a team statement. They also signed linebacker Marte Mapu to the practice squad, waived defensive back Doneiko Slaughter and placed defensive tackle Derrick Harmon on injured reserve.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero first reported the signing.
“The Steelers are signing veteran CB Sean Murphy-Bunting off the Bucs’ practice squad, per source. Murphy-Bunting has played in 82 NFL games (65 starts) and has 11 career interceptions. Some experienced depth for Pittsburgh after the Joey Porter Jr. trade,” Pelissero wrote.
Murphy-Bunting, 29, returns to an active roster after missing all of the 2025 season. He tore his ACL in March 2025 while with the Arizona Cardinals and also dealt with MCL damage that sidelined him for the year.
The Cardinals released him during final roster cuts in August. He then rejoined the Buccaneers, the club that originally drafted him, and spent the early weeks of 2026 on Tampa Bay’s practice squad.
Tampa Bay selected Murphy-Bunting in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 39th overall, out of Central Michigan. He spent his first four seasons with the Buccaneers before signing with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and the Cardinals in 2024.
He has appeared in 82 regular-season games and started 65 of them. His career totals include 11 interceptions, 34 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and one sack, according to league records.
In his most recent full season, 2024 with Arizona, Murphy-Bunting started all 15 games he played. He finished with 52 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
He contributed to Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV championship team in the 2020 season. During that postseason run he recorded three interceptions across four games.
Pittsburgh’s need grew sharper after starting cornerback Jamel Dean left the Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns with an ankle injury. Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that Dean is making progress and will be evaluated later in the week. Reports indicated the injury could sideline him for multiple weeks.
The Porter trade, finalized last week, sent the cornerback to Dallas in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection. Porter had not played for the Steelers this season amid a contract dispute.
Murphy-Bunting has not taken a regular-season snap since 2024. The Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, giving the newcomer a chance to work into the defensive rotation alongside remaining options such as Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette.
