The Steelers signed tight end Jaheim Bell to a one-year contract, bringing him back after he spent time on Pittsburgh’s practice squad near the end of the 2025 season. Bell’s latest deal gives him another chance to stick with a team that has already seen him in the building once before.
Bell entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida State, but his professional path has been unsettled from the start. He appeared in 15 games for the New England Patriots as a rookie and caught two passes for 20 yards, then spent time on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad last year before landing with the Steelers late in the 2025 season.
For Pittsburgh, the move is part of a wider round of roster business that also included one-year contracts for receiver Brandon Johnson, running back Travis Homer, offensive lineman Brock Hoffman, Ryan McCollum, safety Jaquan Brisker, Esezi Otomewo and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. The team also signed defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day to a two-year contract, cornerback Jamel Dean to a three-year contract and running back Rico Dowdle to a two-year contract, while acquiring Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts.
Bell’s college production still gives him a profile worth tracking. He played three seasons at South Carolina before transferring to Florida State for his final season, and across 38 college games he totaled 95 receptions for 1,260 yards and nine touchdowns. He also scored four rushing touchdowns, showing the kind of versatility that kept him on NFL practice squads and in the conversation for another shot.
The tension for Bell is familiar: the résumé is broader than the pro production. The Steelers have now offered him another one-year deal, but after stops with the Patriots, Eagles practice squad and Pittsburgh’s practice squad, he still has to turn that college promise into a lasting role in the league.
