Earlier this offseason the Pittsburgh Steelers made the announcement they have let several practice player contracts expire. One of those players was quarterback Devlin Hodges.
The man fondly called “Duck” for his duck calling expertise, was able to be a significant player during the 2019 season. After Ben Roethlisberger was lost in Week 2 vs. the Seattle Seahawks with an elbow injury, and a concussion removed Mason Rudolph from the lineup, it was Duck’s team.
Hodges’ first start was in the city he will now call home, Los Angeles. The only exception was his first start was against the Chargers, and, according to his verified Twitter account, he is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams organization.
Excited for the opportunity to sign and be apart of the @RamsNFL! I’ve been to LA before ;) let’s get it! pic.twitter.com/2gqGDNhcuo
— Devlin Hodges (@DevlinHodges10) January 24, 2021
Hodges joins the ranks of Deon Cain and Matthew Wright who spent their 2020 season with Pittsburgh on the practice squad, but have found a new home elsewhere in the NFL.
While many will look back at Hodges’ time with the Steelers and grimace of what could have been a tremendous 2019 season, if you think about his story from start to finish it is stuff movies are made of.
An award-winning quarterback coming out of Samford gets a shot at showing what he can do at the NFL level with a Reserve/Future contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Due to injuries he didn’t just make the team, but was the starter for several weeks as a rookie. Hodges’ play was what gave the Steelers a chance at the playoffs in 2019, but also what did them in in the waning months of the season.
We here at BTSC wish Duck the best of luck moving forward.
Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the new league year, NFL Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.