PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It's never clicked so far due to injuries and others coming into the fold, the Steelers are giving another chance to a drafted running back.
The team announcing on Thursday tailback Anthony McFarland, Jr. along with defensive tackle Renell Wren and linebacker Chapelle Russell were signed to Reserve/Future contracts.
McFarland was only active for one game this year, getting six carries for 30 yards and a pair of receptions for 11 yards against the Colts. The 2020 fourth-round pick was set back by the lack of offseason workouts his rookie year and then injuries his second season. He's still just 23-years-old and played a total of 14 NFL games with 146 yards rushing with nine receptions for 76 yards.
There will be an opportunity for McFarland to be the number three tailback, battling with two previous players signed to futures deals-Master Teague and Jason Huntley.
Wren was on the Steelers practice squad for most of the 2022 season. The defensive tackle was the Bengals fourth-round selection in 2019 and had eight tackles in 11 games (two starts) his rookie season. Spent most of the 2021 year on the practice squad. The 27-year-old signed with the Eagles this offseason but was released. The former Arizona State player was activated for the Ravens game on January 1 and played one defensive snap.
Linebacker Chapelle Russell was waived by the Jaguars at the end of 2022 training camp and signed by the Steelers to the practice squad. He was not activated in 2022, originally a Tampa Bay seventh-round pick in 2020 he played in 35% of the Bucs special teams snaps as a rookie. Last year played in 72% of the special teams snaps with the Jags and also played 92 defensive snaps in 2021.
