Former New England Patriots safety Joshuah Bledsoe’s return to the NFL has hit a bump in the road.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they had released the 26-year-old defensive back.
It’s a tough break for Bledsoe, who had signed to play in the UFL back in November. He ended up not playing in the spring football league after landing with the Steelers back in January.
Now, he’s out of work again without having the chance to play a game.
The Steelers had just signed defensive back Quindell Johnson, meaning the team needed to make a corresponding move to open a spot in the roster. It was Bledsoe’s spot that was taken.
Bledsoe was taken by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and struggled to crack the gameday lineup in New England. Over three seasons, Bledsoe played in three games and made one tackle.
In 2024, Bledsoe was released at the end of training camp. A few months later, he signed a deal with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.
Before the Brahmas’ 2025 UFL season began, Bledsoe was scooped up by the Steelers, who signed him to reserve/future contract.
Bledsoe had been participating in Steelers OTAs up to this point. Now, he’ll return to the free agent market.