The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing former Falcons tight end MyCole Pruitt to a one-year deal, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Pruitt played under Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in both Tennessee and Atlanta, and will now to join him in Pittsburgh, creating a room of Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, and Pruitt.
If the Steelers move Heyward to fullback permanently, which could be the plan, Pruitt could backfill as a reserve tight end. Either way, in an offense that asks many of its skill players to go out there and block, the team needed someone other than Washington who could be reliable. Pruitt can be that, and while he only had nine receptions a year ago, Pruitt has stuck around in the NFL as a top blocker.
In 2022, Pruitt caught four touchdown passes in Smith’s scheme. Regardless, he will primarily be asked to block at a high level for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren with the Steelers. Pittsburgh still has needs up and down the offense, but a run blocking tight end was something the team needed to add at some point. Rodney Williams remains on the roster, too, and he became a core special teamer, so a deep tight end competition will occur at training cam to see who makes the team.
With Van Jefferson and Cordarrelle Patterson coming over from the Falcons along with Pruitt, three former Falcons that played under Smith have now come to Pittsburgh to join him, which will help with familiarity and through install.
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