Steelers waive Ulysees Gilbert III injured, pick up a player off waivers

The NFL 90-man offseason roster is very fluid, and all 32 teams can attest to this. As injuries take place, teams are forced to make adjustments which will help them field a full team during preseason games and not have to expend their starters more than they want in these exhibition games.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they finally reached the end of their rope with an often injured player. Ulysees Gilbert III, who most recently is out with an ankle injury which was expected to sideline him for “weeks”, has been waived injured by the team.

This per NFL insider Aaron Wilson:

Gilbert was drafted by the Steelers in the 6th Round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Akron, but unfortunately, Gilbert was known more for what he didn’t do, rather than what he was able to do when he was given the chance.

Throughout his career with the Steelers, Gilbert was able to tally just 23 tackles. Appearing in 28 games in three seasons, Gilbert did not have a start in his Steelers career. Appearing in all 17 games in 2021, Gilbert only had 36 defensive snaps while tallying 337 on special teams which included a recovery of a blocked punt for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

As a reminder, when a player is waived/injured, it is because they are not a vested veteran and must be exposed to waivers before going on Injured Reserve (IR). If the player clears waivers, they can either reach an injury settlement with the team within five days or they will be placed on the Reserve/Injured List.

With a spot on the team’s offseason roster, the team has claimed outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed, formerly of the New York Jets, off waivers.

This too per Wilson:

As for the Steelers new player, Hamilcar Rashed Jr, he was undrafted out of Oregon State in the 2021 NFL draft. Signed by the New York Jets as a UDFA, Rashed did not make the 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad. Elevated for one game in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, Rashed saw 16 defensive snaps as well as two on special teams where he had one tackle. Rashed signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Jets following the season, but was waived earlier this week allowing the Steelers to claim him off waivers.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they press on throughout training camp and prepare for the preseason starting this Saturday.