Pittsburgh Steelers sign WR Aron Cruickshank, LB Kuony Deng, waive two wide receivers

The Steelers have made some rosters moves as the preseason winds down, and the regular season gets closer and closer.

On Monday, Pittsburgh announced they’ve inked wide receiver Aron Cruickshank and linebacker Kuony Deng to deals, while waiving wide receivers Hakeem Butler and Cody White.

“The Steelers signed receiver Aron Cruickshank and linebacker Kuony Deng,” wrote the franchise. “In a corresponding move, the team waived/injured receivers Hakeem Butler and Cody White.

“Cruickshank signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft.”

Moreover, Cruickshank made a name for himself with Rutgers, where he pulled in 99 receptions for 868 yards and five touchdowns in 28 games for the Scarlet Knights. While victories were hard to come by, Cruickshank put up solid numbers, like in 2022, when he had 42 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns while earning All-Big Ten third-team honors.

He was also selected third-team All-Big Ten as a return specialist. He also played two seasons at Wisconsin prior to his time in Piscataway.

As for Deng, the Steelers explained in their press release where his journey has taken him, as he’s joining the NFL legacy franchise now.

“Deng was originally signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft,” wrote the Steelers. “He was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad late in the 2022 season and signed a Reserve/Future contract after the season. He was released by the Bears during the preseason.

“Deng played three seasons at the University of California where he recorded 154 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, three and a half sacks, eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was a two-time team captain (2020-21) and was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2019 when he recorded 119 tackles and three sacks. Overall he had 229 tackles and 15.5 tackles for a loss during his time at California, as well as Independence Community College and Virginia Military Institute.”

Alas, it remains to be seen if either signee will make an impact on the franchise, but it’ll be interesting to see if they’re given an opportunity over the remainder of the preseason, and at the start of the regular season.

The Steelers have a lot riding on 2023, and they’re bringing Aron Cruickshank and Kuony Deng into the fold. We’ll see how far the team can go in another season with Mike Tomlin at the helm.