Following a month of active duty, defensive back Doneiko Slaughter has been signed to the Steelers practice squad.
The revolving door of the NFL roster claimed another spot this week. as the Steelers signed defensive back Doneiko Slaughter to the practice squad. The move comes after a whirlwind month where the young defensive back found himself elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for three consecutive weeks.
Slaughter’s path to this point began in earnest when he was elevated for the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. the Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots. and the Week 3 showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. His performance and the team’s needs ultimately led to his promotion to the 53-man roster ahead of the Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns. In total, he appeared in all four of those games before this latest procedural shift.
His connection to the organization started earlier, when he signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Steelers following the 2025 season. This professional opportunity followed an entry into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars immediately after the 2025 NFL Draft.
Before the professional transition, Slaughter spent five seasons in the college ranks, appearing in 56 games and starting 28. His collegiate career concluded at Arkansas. where he started 13 games. logging 80 tackles—44 of them solo—with seven passes defensed. three tackles for a loss. a sack. and a forced fumble. Those final numbers built upon four prior seasons at Tennessee. where he recorded three sacks. an interception. and eight passes defensed. Across his entire college tenure. he accumulated 167 tackles. including 110 solo stops. eight and a half tackles for a loss. four sacks. and 15 passes defensed.
The trajectory from an undrafted free agent to an active-roster contributor in four weeks highlights the thin margin between the practice squad and the field. Having seen action in every game of the season so far. Slaughter remains a central part of the team’s defensive depth. regardless of his current practice squad designation.
Doneiko Slaughter Steelers NFL roster practice squad Arkansas Tennessee defensive back