Steelers sign former Packers draft pick Tariq Carpenter to practice squad

According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed inside linebacker/special teamer Tariq Carpenter, who was just waived by the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday. Carpenter, originally drafted as a safety, moved to the inside linebacker position this offseason and made the Packers’ initial 53-man roster before the team added safety Zayne Anderson and tight end Ben Sims via waiver claims.

Once Carpenter passed through waivers on Thursday, he was eligible to sign anywhere as an unrestricted free agent. It’s uncertain, at the moment, if Carpenter was ever extended a practice squad offer by the Packers. For whatever reason, he inked to deal with the Steelers’ practice squad. One would assume, though, that if the Packers were willing to roster Carpenter two days ago, they probably would have offered him a practice squad spot on Thursday.

Carpenter is now just the second player that the Packers have cut this week to sign elsewhere. The first was cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles, another former Green Bay draft choice, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.

The Packers currently have a full 53-man roster and 17-man practice squad, following the signing of long snapper Matthew Orzech and the practice squad addition of inside linebacker Kristian Welch. There is potential for one more roster transaction before Green Bay begins to gameplan for the Chicago Bears, the team’s Week 1 opponent, though.

Along with Carpenter, the other player that the team waived after initially making the 53-man roster was defensive lineman Jonathan Ford, another 2022 seventh-round draft pick. Currently, the Packers only have five defensive linemen on their 53-man roster and one practice squader at the position. Don’t be surprised if Ford — a true nose tackle — is added to the practice squad soon, which means that a current practice squad member would have to be displaced as a corresponding roster move.