As injuries and suspensions affected the Steelers’ pass-catching contingent this season, they became more reliant on lesser-known commodities. They will bring back one of them after agreeing to a one-year deal with wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The sides came to an agreement earlier this week.
Hamilton resided as an exclusive rights free agent entering the Steelers’ offseason, and this deal is the second Pittsburgh signing today. The team signed ERFA Roosevelt Nix as well.
A former sixth-round Bengals pick in 2013, Hamilton did not record a reception from 2013-15 and spent the first half of this season on the Steelers’ practice squad. But the team promoted him and saw the 26-year-old target start eight games, catch 17 passes for 234 yards and score two touchdowns during the regular season. He and UDFA Eli Rogers became the Steelers’ top auxiliary receivers after the suspension of Martavis Bryant and injuries to Markus Wheaton and Sammie Coates. Hamilton caught Ben Roethlisberger‘s only touchdown pass in the AFC championship game on what became a rough day for Pittsburgh’s passing attack.
Wheaton is a UFA and Bryant has an uncertain road back to reinstatement, so Hamilton could again compete for a spot as a relevant cog in Todd Haley‘s offense.