Following a month of active rotation, the Steelers have assigned defensive back Doneiko Slaughter to the team’s practice squad.
The locker room cycle shifted again this week as the Steelers moved defensive back Doneiko Slaughter back to the practice squad. This latest transaction follows a month where he served as a reliable piece of the team’s defensive depth.
Slaughter’s path to this point was marked by rapid elevation. Before his move to the practice squad, he spent four consecutive weeks integrated into the team’s immediate game-day operations. He was elevated for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. followed by appearances against the New England Patriots in Week 2 and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. By the time the team prepared for their Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns. he had earned a spot on the 53-man roster. He appeared in all four of those contests.
The organization’s investment in the defensive back began shortly after the 2025 season, when he first inked a Reserve/Future contract. His entry into the league was more circuitous; he initially joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.
His collegiate resume shows the utility the front office banked on when signing him. Slaughter split his five-year college career between Tennessee and Arkansas, appearing in 56 games with 28 starts. During that stretch. he accumulated 167 total tackles—110 of them solo—along with 8.5 tackles for a loss. four sacks. and 15 passes defensed.
His final season at Arkansas provided the most significant statistical output of his amateur career. Over 13 starts. he tallied 80 tackles. including 44 solo stops. with three tackles for a loss. a sack. a forced fumble. and seven passes defensed. That productive final year followed four seasons at Tennessee, where he recorded three sacks, an interception, and eight passes defensed. Now, he returns to the practice squad as the roster looks toward the next phase of the season.
Steelers Doneiko Slaughter NFL practice squad roster moves Pittsburgh Steelers Arkansas Tennessee