The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for life without Maurkice Pouncey, who is set to start serving his three-game suspension in Week 12, by signing center J.C. Hassenauer to their practice squad.
We have added C J.C. Hassenauer to our practice squad and released TE Kevin Rader.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 20, 2019
The Steelers are familiar with Hassenauer, as he was on their offseason roster this preseason before being cut when the roster was trimmed to 53 players. Hassenauer was a top backup interior linemen for the Alabama Crimson Tide in college, and has spent time with the Atlanta Falcons along with the Steelers.
At this point the Steelers are preparing for B.J. Finney to be the center during Pouncey’s 3-game suspension, which is being appealed, but after Finney the team is thin at the center position. The singing of Hassenauer will be a good insurance policy for the team in case something happens to Finney during his time as the starting center for the next few weeks.
Next up for the Steelers are the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Steelers 5-5 record has them on the cusp of playoff contention, and although the winless Bengals seem like the perfect elixir after the team’s Week 11 loss, no team should be overlooked at this point for the black-and-gold.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the Bengals this Sunday.