The NFL carried over some successful rules from the 2020 season, including practice squad protections. Teams can protect up to four of the most valued players on their practice squad each week, preventing them from being signed by other teams.
Teams that play on Sundays can designate protected players each Tuesday at 4 p.m. Teams that play on Mondays designate players each Wednesday. Protected players are not eligible to sign with another team until after that week’s game.
For the first time since he was signed, the Steelers did not protect safety Karl Joseph.
Here are the four players the Pittsburgh Steelers protected on their practice squad for Week 12 versus the Cincinnati Bengals: