Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end KJ Henry (52) during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Steelers Sign Former Browns Defender

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 7:32 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — The shuffling of the deck that is the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad continued ahead of their Week 6 contest against the Cleveland Browns. In the same week that they released a veteran linebacker, lost another one to the Las Vegas Raiders and brought back another familiar face to the practice squad group, the team is continuing to add to the group.

After the Steelers hosted edge rusher K.J. Henry for a workout recently, the organization is keeping him around for a bit on their practice squad. The 26-year-old has made stops at multiple franchises since his debut in the NFL, with 12 NFL games under his belt. In those contests, he's accumulated 22 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best NFL season to date came in 2023 as a rookie, when he appeared in 10 games with the Washington Commanders and recorded 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

In addition to spending time with the Commanders and now the Steelers, he’s also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys.

Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Insight Into Cleveland

Don’t expect Henry to make an impact on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean he won’t provide value to the Steelers. It’s no coincidence that Henry is added before their matchup against the Browns.

While Henry has bounced around the league since first being selected by the Washington Commanders out of Clemson at the 2023 NFL Draft, he made a notable stop in his professional journey that the Steelers are zeroed in on. He spent this most recent preseason in Cleveland, and he performed very well. His highlight came when he intercepted Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and returned it for a 45-yard touchdown.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and company know that he had a long run with the team before being a final roster cut, and now he has the chance to punish the Browns for releasing him. The Steelers are likely going to deploy him heavily on their scout team in the remaining practice days before they take on the Browns, trying to gain any edge possible against a dangerous Cleveland pass rush and front seven.

The Steelers are 3-1 as they come out of their bye week and into their first AFC North matchup of 2025. It’s the first chance for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to get a firsthand account of being a QB under fire in one of these battles, and getting insight into that through Henry on the practice field will be critical to the offense’s success against the Browns.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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