Former English rugby player Christian Scotland-Williamson was released by the Steelers on Monday, ending a two-year run with the team.
Scotland-Williamson never played football before 2018, but though the NFL's International Player Pathway, he landed a spot on the Steelers' practice squad on May 1, 2018. Players who are a part of that program receive a two-year exemption on a practice squad.
Scotland-Williamson's time with the program was up, and the move trims the team's offseason roster to 89 players, something the team rectified later when it signed former Bears tight end Dax Raymond.
We have waived TE Christian Scotland-Williamson.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 20, 2020
The 6-foot-9, 274-pound Scotland-Williamson, a native of Waltham Forest, England, played rugby for the Worcester Warriors from 2014-17.
After arriving in Pittsburgh, the Steelers waived him Sept. 1, 2018, but signed him to the practice squad the following day. He signed a futures contract at the beginning of 2019 and earned praise for the improvement he made during his second season. Despite the Steelers issues at tight end last season, the 27-year-old Scotland-Williamson never appeared in a game, and his chances of securing a roster spot were slim.
The Steelers bulked up the position during the offseason, bringing in former Pro Bowler Eric Ebron on a two-year, $12 million contract in hopes of pairing him with a healthy Vance McDonald, who missed two games last season.
Raymond, a first-year player out of Utah State, initially signed with the Bears after going undrafted last year, then spent most of the season on their practice squad. In three seasons at Utah State, Raymond caught 72 passes for 873 yards and three touchdowns.
The move comes as reporting dates for training camps across the league nears.
Rookies can begin reporting for NFL training camps Tuesday, but the Steelers said they do not have plans on having their 16 rookies who are on the roster report this week.
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