The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a move to address their need in the secondary ahead of their Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Steelers have signed safety Darrick Forrest to their practice squad.
Former Commanders safety Darrick Forest is signing with the Steelers practice squad, per source.
Forrest has played in 40 career games (17 starts). Some depth amidst injuries on the back end. pic.twitter.com/fH3ExZumDA
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 28, 2025
Pittsburgh worked out a pair of safeties in Eddie Jackson and Vonn Bell who both have prior experience playing in the AFC North, but it has instead opted to bring in Forrest for now.
That’s not to say either Jackson or Bell won’t be an option for the Steelers somewhere down the line, as the team would still benefit from additional reinforcements at the position, but Forrest’s presence on the practice squad could potentially delay that decision.
Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders safety Darrick Forrest (22) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
After playing collegiately at Cincinnati, where he appeared in 49 games from 2017 to 2020 and recorded 200 tackles with six interceptions, the Washington Commanders selected Forrest in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
He appeared in eight games as a rookie before starting 11 of the Commanders’ 17 contests in 2022, finishing with 88 tackles, four interceptions and two forced fumbles that year.
Forrest played in just 15 games over his final two campaigns with Washington, which was largely due to a shoulder injury that landed him on the reserve/injured list in October 2023.
The 26-year-old reached free agency this past offseason after his rookie contract expired and ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills. He was let go at final roster cuts, however, and signed to the Colts’ practice squad on September 9 before being released just days later.
Though it seems DeShon Elliott avoided a worst-case scenario and may not have to miss the rest of the season with a hyperextended knee that he suffered against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, he’s still set for a somewhat lengthy absence.
Chuck Clark has become Pittsburgh’s top option next to Elliott at free safety over the last two weeks, playing a total of 102 defensive snaps over that stretch.
Juan Thornhill has seen the field for 63 percent of the team’s defensive reps on the year, per Pro Football Reference, and remains a suitable option for the Steelers as well.
Jabrill Peppers logged 13 snaps on defense vs. Green Bay, but he otherwise hasn’t gotten much run on that side of the ball since Week 3.
Forrest may not see a ton of playing time, if any, as a game day elevation for Pittsburgh this season unless another injury occurs or the secondary’s struggles continue, but he’s a good veteran depth piece for the team at this point in the year.