The Pittsburgh Steelers made a practice squad move this week, releasing linebacker Kana’i Mauga to bring back long snapper Cal Adomitis. It’s a small transaction on paper, but it gives us a glimpse into how the Steelers are navigating a crucial stretch of the season - with injuries piling up and roster flexibility becoming more important than ever.
Mauga, who had been with the team for the past three weeks, wore multiple hats during his brief stint in Pittsburgh. He worked as both a linebacker and a fullback, showcasing the kind of versatility that coaches love to have on a practice squad. In fact, the Steelers had him mimic Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard during their prep for that divisional matchup - a niche assignment, but one that highlights his utility and football IQ.
His journey to this point has been anything but linear. Mauga went undrafted out of USC in 2022 and initially signed with the Denver Broncos, but didn’t make the final roster.
From there, he found a home with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he spent the next three seasons contributing primarily on special teams and occasionally stepping in at fullback and linebacker. He even had a brief stop with the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year before landing in Pittsburgh.
Mauga has totaled eight career tackles, and while those numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, his ability to fill multiple roles made him a useful depth piece. Still, with the Steelers needing help at long snapper, they made the call to bring back Adomitis - a familiar face who could step in immediately if needed.
That need stems from the status of starting long snapper Christian Kuntz, who’s dealing with a knee injury that limited him in practice on Thursday. If Kuntz can’t go, Adomitis could be snapping in a high-stakes game this weekend.
It’s also worth noting that with Mauga’s release, the Steelers no longer have any inside linebackers on their practice squad - a sign of how banged up that unit has been throughout the season. It’s a reminder that, at this point in the year, every roster spot is a chess move, and Pittsburgh is trying to stay one step ahead of the injury bug.
For now, the practice squad is full again, and the Steelers are hoping Adomitis can provide some stability at a position that often goes unnoticed - until something goes wrong.