Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin knew tight end David Johnson's season in Pittsburgh might be over before their first preseason game even ended last Thursday night, immediately taking the podium after the loss to the Eagles and stating that the injury was "severe." That was confirmed over the weekend when word came down that Johnson's season was over with a torn ACL.
On Monday, the Steelers waived Johnson "injured," which allows other teams to pick him up and keep him on the roster until the final cuts are made, and then put him on IR at the start of the season. It's a technical distinction, but he'll receive his entire salary. To replace Johnson, the Steelers signed veteran tight end Justin Peele. Via Adam Caplan:
Veteran TE Justin Peelle found a new home with the
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) August 14, 2012#Steelers. FB David Johnson was waived/injured.
Peele has bounced around the league during his decade-long career, playing last season with the San Francisco 49ers. He also has fullback experience, which will certainly be valuable as the Steelers move forward without Johnson.
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