Steelers Work Out Former Second-Round WR

The Pittsburgh Steelers got a closer look at a wide receiver with experience on special teams.

Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andy Isabella (87) returns a kick off against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

With Cordarrelle Patterson's status up in the air for Week 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought in a speedy returner for a workout.

According to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Steelers hosted wide receiver Andy Isabella on Tuesday.

Steelers are working out WR Andy Isabella, former second-round pick of Arizona Cardinals, per source. He was with Buffalo last year.

— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) October 1, 2024

Isabella played collegiately at UMass, finishing his career with 3,526 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns on 231 catches. He was a consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist as a senior in 2018 after leading the FBS with 1,698 yards.

The Arizona Cardinals later drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, pairing him with No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. Isabella ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at the Combine and fit head coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense perfectly, but he never found his footing in the passing game.

He started just three games for Arizona over four seasons while hauling in 33 receptions for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns over a total of 39 contests with the team.

Isabella became a core special teamer for the Cardinals, however, dipping his feet into kick returning while also working on the coverage unit. He was eventually waived in October 2022 and subsequently signed by the Baltimore Ravens to their practice squad.

Isabella appeared in two regular season games for Baltimore and was active for its lone playoff contest that year against the Cincinnati Bengals. He signed a futures contract in January 2023 before the team released him months later in July.

The Buffalo Bills took a chance on Isabella and added him to their practice squad after releasing him at final roster cuts last season. He played a total of 21 special teams snaps and two on offense for the team.

Isabella stuck around this offseason on another futures deal before Buffalo let him go on Aug. 27.

It's unclear if a signing is imminent, but Isabella would provide valuable depth on special teams for the Steelers if Patterson, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 4, has to miss time.

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