The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding former New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu to their practice squad, according to a Monday report from NFL insider Aaron Wilson.
The move fills a vacancy created after the club traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys and promoted defensive back Doneiko Slaughter from the practice squad to the active roster.
Mapu was among eight players the Steelers brought in for tryouts ahead of the weekend. He was one of two linebackers in that group, along with former Jacksonville Jaguars third-round pick Chad Muma.
Pittsburgh has been managing injuries along the offensive line, defensive line, running back room, and secondary, and the tryout list reflected that, with offensive linemen, running backs, and defensive backs also in the building.
The decision to use the open practice-squad place on a linebacker still stood out, given those other needs. Mapu will join Bradyn Swinson, Julius Welschof, and Jacoby Windmon among the linebackers already on the unit.
The 2023 draft class member was selected 76th overall by New England and spent his first three seasons with the Patriots, starting 10 games. In April he was traded to the Houston Texans, who waived him with an injury designation before Week 1.
Across 44 NFL games, he has recorded 89 combined tackles, five forced fumbles, three interceptions, 12 passes defended, and half a sack.
His most productive stretch came in 2024, when he started nine of 10 games and finished with 46 combined tackles, six passes defended, and three forced fumbles.
The timing fits a stretch of uneven linebacker play. Pittsburgh lost 27-24 to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, and the inside linebackers drew the sharpest criticism afterward.
Veteran Patrick Queen was singled out by analysts and former Steelers for a lack of effort, while Payton Wilson and Cole Holcomb also struggled. The team missed 17 tackles in the game, six of them charged to Queen, Wilson, and Holcomb.
Nothing in the signing suggests a reshuffle of the top of the depth chart. Queen, Wilson, and Holcomb remain Mike McCarthy’s primary inside linebackers.
Mapu’s value is as another body the team can elevate if injuries or continued tackling problems create a need for extra depth on game day.
He arrives with starting experience and a track record of forcing turnovers, which gives Pittsburgh a low-cost option without committing a roster spot.
Whether that option is used will depend on how the linebacker group looks in the weeks ahead and on how quickly the rest of the injury list clears.
