Steelers Recent Practice Squad Signing-Handed Punishment From NFL

The NFL preseason came to an end on the last weekend of August. Although none of the scores or records count in the standings or record books, the NFL still tracks a few things.

NFL Fined Steelers Defensive Back Doneiko Slaughter

One thing the NFL takes seriously in the preseason is unsportsmanlike penalties, and the NFL fined Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Doneiko Slaughter.

The NFL fined Slaughter $4,917 for an unsportsmanlike conduct taunting penalty in the second quarter of the Steelers' third preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Slaughter was the only Steelers player the NFL fined during their three preseason games.

The Steelers signed Slaughter to a reserve futures deal this past winter after the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, Slaughter did not make the Steelers' 53-man roster as they waived him on Sunday. But Pittsburgh added him to its practice squad.

Slaughter played five seasons of college football, starting his career at Tennessee, where he appeared in 43 games for the Volunteers from 2020 to 2023. He recorded 66 solo tackles, 21 assisted tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception. Slaughter then transferred to another SEC school for his last season of college football, heading down to Arkansas in 2025. He appeared in 12 games, recording 44 solo tackles, 36 assisted tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack.

Pittsburgh Will Face a Coach It Has Seen for the Last Six Seasons in Week 1

The Steelers have a week before they take on the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET. Many Pittsburgh fans will know who is on the other side.

Atlanta hired a new head coach this season: Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski coached one of the Steelers' biggest rivals, the Cleveland Browns , for the last six seasons.

Stefanski has a 6-6 record as a head coach against the Steelers, and he even helped beat Pittsburgh in the 2020-21 Wild Card round, but he wasn't on the sidelines.

Since the 2020 season was the COVID season, Stefanski came down with COVID right before the playoff game, and he had to stay home and watch from his basement.

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer was the interim head coach for the game and helped the Browns win 48-37 in Pittsburgh.

The Browns fired Stefanski this offseason after finishing 5-12, and he is now looking to get back on track with his second stint as an NFL head coach.

Pittsburgh also has a new head coach, Mike McCarthy. Stefanski has a 1-1 record against McCarthy. McCarthy lost to Stefanski when he was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, but went to Cleveland and defeated them in Week 1 of the 2024 season.

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