Pittsburgh SteelersPublished: Dec. 03, 2025, 2:30 p.m.
Oregon State running back B.J. Baylor (4) runs next to Southern California linebacker Kana’i Mauga (26) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) APAP
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed former USC star linebacker Kana’i Mauga, the team announced. Mauga joins the team as some depth while star linebacker Patrick Queen is injured and dealing with a glute issue.
Mauga was an undrafted free agent out of USC in the 2022 NFL Draft, and signed with the Denver Broncos initially, but did not make their roster.
He latched on with the Las Vegas Raiders instead, playing there for the next three years. Mauga was a key special teams contributor and also played some fullback while working at linebacker. All of that came together to create an appealing profile for the Steelers, who could need some fullback reps during the week with the Ravens having Patrick Ricard.
Mauga has 8 total tackles in his career and was with the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this season before being released by the team. The Steelers now have a full practice squad after signing Mauga, who is the only inside linebacker on the practice squad.
Nick Farabaugh is the Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer for PennLive.com, based in Pittsburgh. He is entering his fourth season on the Steelers beat. Before joining PennLive, he was the Steelers beat writer for… more