Steelers Release Three Players With Injury Settlements

The Pittsburgh Steelers let go of three players previously placed on the IR during training camp.

May 25, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns safety Nate Meadors (35) walks off the field during organized team activities at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have released three players from their reserve/injured list in recent days after coming to terms on settlements.

Defensive backs Kalon Barnes and Nate Meadors as well as wide receiver Tarik Black were all officially let go by the Steelers after suffering various injuries throughout the course of training camp.

Barnes went down with a quad injury during Pittsburgh's practice on August 11 and was waived after he couldn't participate the following day.

A seventh-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2022 after running a 4.23-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Baylor product signed a futures contract with the Steelers in January of 2024 after spending just under two weeks on the team's practice squad last season.

Barnes made three tackles and allowed two receptions in Pittsburgh's first preseason game of the year against the Houston Texans. He previously appeared in two regular season contests with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.

Black hurt his hamstring on the same day as Barnes and was waived on August 13. He played a total of 10 snaps against the Texans, three of which came on special teams, and recorded one catch for 11 yards.

Black signed with the Steelers on July 31 after Roman Wilson injured his ankle early on during camp. He played three seasons at Michigan before transferring to Texas for his final collegiate campaign.

Black went undrafted in 2021 and captured the only reception of his NFL career in 2021 with the New York Jets.

Meadors suffered a hamstring injury of his own on August 6 and was waived on August 8. He joined the Steelers' practice squad last season on December 27 and was cut two weeks later before inking a futures deal with the team in February.

Meadors, who went undrafted out of UCLA in 2019, played in three regular season games with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Each player originally cleared waivers and later reverted to the reserve/injured list. The Steelers were then provided a five-day period to negotiate settlements with the knowledge that the player would remain on IR for the remainder of the season if no agreement was reached.

Barnes, Black and Meadors will now receive a prorated amount of pay that is based on the amount of time that it is expected to take for them to recover from their injuries.

Make sure you bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more

• Former GM Believes Steelers Only Shot is Russell Wilson
• Insider Reveals Steelers Contract Offer to Brandon Aiyuk
• Former Steelers Coach Believes J.J. Watt Could Return
• Dolphins Sign Former Steelers RB
• Former Player Blasts Steelers Offense, Makes Scary Prediction