Ex Falcons DL Claimed Off Waivers by Pittsburgh Steelers

Former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Willington Previlon has a new home.

Former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Willington Previlon, who started his career with the Green Bay Packers, was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Steelers. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Within less than 24 hours, defensive lineman Willington Previlon went from a member of the Atlanta Falcons to the Pittsburgh Steelers' newest addition.

On Thursday, the Falcons waived Previlon as a part of a corresponding move in response to the signing of United Football League defensive tackle Prince Emili - but Previlon wasn't jobless for long, as the Steelers claimed him off waivers Friday.

After going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2020, Previlon signed with the Green Bay Packers. He has spent time with several different teams, including the Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but has never appeared in a regular season game.

Previlon was one of 13 players signed to a reserve/futures contract Jan. 8, immediately after the Falcons ended their season.

Atlanta didn't have a head coach at the time, as Arthur Smith had been fired the night before, and when Raheem Morris was hired nearly three weeks, he brought in new defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, shifting the Falcons' picture up front.

Still, Previlon spent the entirety of the offseason program in Atlanta, participating in OTAs and mandatory minicamp before his eventual departure.

Now, Previlon gets the chance to join the same organization as Smith, becoming one of several former Falcons to do so this offseason; running back Cordarrelle Patterson, tight end MyCole Pruitt and receivers Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller have also signed with the Steelers since March.

Atlanta, meanwhile, has a deep interior defensive line, as Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata spearhead a unit that also includes Ta'Quon Graham, Eddie Goldman, second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro and fourth-round selection Brandon Dorlus, among several others.

The Falcons begin training camp July 24 as preparation starts ahead of Week 1, which comes Sept. 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It marks a return to Atlanta for Smith - but the question now becomes the number of ex-Falcons who join him, a question that now holds Previlon.