The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a roster move ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, elevating CB D’Shawn Jamison from the practice squad. He will wear No. 38.
Normally, Pittsburgh elevates two players for each game. But the Steelers have a healthy 53 man roster, and only opted to bring up Jamison for this must-win game.
This is Jamison’s third practice squad elevation of the season, the maximum a player can have in a single year. He was first elevated for the team’s Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals and again for last Sunday’s contest against the Cleveland Browns. So far, he’s only played on special teams with nine total snaps. He’s worked as a gunner and on kick returns, running one back for 20 yards against the Bengals.
Though cornerbacks Brandin Echols and James Pierre are expected to play after missing time with respective groin and calf injuries, Jamison will offer additional depth. He entered training camp as Pittsburgh’s fourth-string slot corner but climbed the ranks throughout the summer, especially after rookie CB Donte Kent suffered an ankle injury.
In 2023, Jamison saw extensive action with the Carolina Panthers. Appearing in 15 games with over 100 snaps on defense and special teams, he recorded 10 tackles and one pass breakup. But he’s struggled to find consistent playing time since. Pittsburgh first signed him to its practice squad in September of 2024.
In addition to Jamison, Echols, and Pierre, the Steelers have also Joey Porter Jr., Asante Samuel Jr., and Tre Flowers on the 53-man roster. Jalen Ramsey is also able to play cornerback, though the team ideally keeps him at safety.
Assuming the secondary stays healthy, Jamison will likely only appear on special teams. It’s an open question if Jamison will return kicks or if the team will stick with running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on the return team. Warren and Gainwell served in that role last week despite Jamison’s elevation, making it most likely Jamison would only handle kicks in the event of an injury.