Jacoby Windmon took the long road back to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third stint with the team. The Carolina Panthers poached him off the practice squad in 2024, and he spent part of this spring in the UFL. Now, Windmon will get another opportunity in Latrobe with the Steelers. He’s determined to make the most of it.

“Just being able to have the competitive drive, the will to not give up. Putting God first. Being able to make those transitions from UFL to NFL just shows the passion for the game I have,” Windmon said via WILX News 10 in Michigan. “I’m really excited, man. It’s another opportunity to go out there and play ball. Whenever I get a chance to step on the field, I go out there and give it my all.”

Windmon initially signed with the Steelers in 2024 as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State. He played significant preseason snaps and finished with the third-most tackles on the team, earning him a practice squad spot. Perhaps he would have stuck around longer, but the Panthers signed him to their 53-man roster from Pittsburgh’s practice squad.

In eight games as a rookie, including two starts, he logged 22 tackles, a TFL, 1.5 sacks, and two passes defensed. It was enough to stick around with the Panthers for another training camp before they released him during August roster cutdowns.

The Steelers picked him back up last October for a month before releasing him. He then circled back to the Panthers, appearing in one more game.

When the Panthers waived him in May, he wasted no time signing with the UFL to continue playing football.

Steelers icon James Harrison was cut by NFL teams four times and even spent time in NFL Europe before becoming a dominant, game-wrecking force in Pittsburgh and bringing two Super Bowl championships home. His story is a rare reminder for young players like Windmon to continue showing up and pushing.

“I thank the coaches for giving me the opportunity,” he said. “I plan on making the most of it, and I look forward to it.”

The Steelers have now brought Windmon back three separate times, a sign they believe he still has developmental upside.

Jacoby Windmon will arrive in Latrobe with far more experience than he had as an undrafted rookie two years ago. Between nine NFL games, a stint in the UFL, and his previous experience working with Pittsburgh’s linebackers, he has an opportunity to stick — even if that’s another spot on Pittsburgh’s practice squad at first.