Steelers Reach Injury Settlement With Just-Released Safety

Earlier Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had released S Israel Mukuamu. Per the NFL transactions sheet and Aaron Wilson, that was through an injury settlement.

Although Mukuamu did not pass through injured reserve to receive his settlement like many players, perhaps due to his veteran status, he still received an undisclosed settlement as a result of his injury. Typically, the pay is prorated out to the number of weeks the player is expected to miss.

Mukuamu was injured either in the preseason opener or early in the team’s first training camp practice after. He took the field for that day’s session and, despite its brief walkthrough nature, was looked at by trainers early in practice. He walked up to the team facility for additional evaluation.

He did not practice again. Late in camp, we spotted Mukuamu wearing a wrap around his lower right leg, above his ankle but below his knee. He did not play in Friday’s preseason loss to the New York Jets.

Mukuamu was initially signed earlier this month to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. His past experience with head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas made for an easy connection. However, Mukuamu’s summer barely got off the ground before getting hurt. Should a veteran safety added mid-camp make the team, it will be Rayshawn Jenkins, who has impressed so far.

Pittsburgh signed CB Jaylon Guilbeau and RB Alex Tecza today after waiving K Laith Marjan yesterday and releasing Mukuamu today.

Mukuamu will aim to get healthy and latch on with another team during the regular season. He’s appeared in 51 career games with three starts. He’s tallied 42 total tackles with three interceptions and possesses rare size and length for the position. He appeared in just one game for the Carolina Panthers last year and hasn’t logged a defensive snap in a regular-season game since 2024.