The Raiders have signed former Steelers outside linebacker Malik Reed to their active roster, the team announced. He was initially on their practice squad before the team elevated him to their 53-man roster properly. Reed spent time this summer with the Miami Dolphins but was released during final cut-downs.
Pittsburgh traded a sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos to acquire Reed at the beginning of the 2022 season. Reed had been a regular starter for his three seasons for the Broncos, playing opposite Von Miller. He had his best season in 2020, recording eight sacks and 53 tackles in 16 games. In the 2021 season, he had five sacks in 14 games.
Coming over to the Steelers, the team expected him to provide quality depth. He quickly was thrust into a more prominent role once star outside linebacker T.J. Watt suffered a severe pectoral injury. Reed played in 14 games last season, including two starts, but only recorded one sack, and the team let him walk following the season. He ends up in Las Vegas, who used a boost after Josh McDaniels was fired to crunch the New York Giants.
Isaac Rochell played a bit for the Raiders, but Reed played more against the Giants than he did, signaling that Reed might have a role in the edge rusher rotation in Las Vegas for the rest of the season. Across from Maxx Crosby, they have looked for other players to step up after they released Chandler Jones.
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