Pittsburgh Steelers sign hard-nosed South Alabama fullback

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed South Alabama hybrid tight end and fullback DJ Thomas-Jones to an undrafted free-agent contract, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Thomas-Jones joins the Steelers as their fullback for the offseason after they failed to add one in free agency. They pursued All-Pro Kyle Juszczyk after he was released, but he chose to sign back with the San Francisco 49ers.

Thomas-Jones ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at his pro day after measuring 6-foot-1, 250 pounds. With MyCole Pruitt still a free agent, Thomas-Jones will plop into his role and compete with Connor Heyward and Donald Parham for bottom-of-the-roster snaps.

In 2024, Thomsa-Jones had 22 receptions for 191 yards and three touchdowns, with his best game coming against Texas State, where he posted 59 yards on five receptions.

He began his career at the University of Mississippi before transferring to South Alabama. While in Mobile, he was the starting tight end and worked as a fullback starting in his sophomore season.

Thomas-Jones was a native of Mobile, and returned home to play for South Alabama. He had over 200 receiving yards in his sophomore and junior seasons before seeing a dip in his production during his senior campaign.