The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a few veteran additions on the defensive side of the ball after their Week 4 loss on Thursday Night Football to the Cleveland Browns.
Prior to signing cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to their 53-man roster from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad, KPRC 2 Houston's Aaron Wilson reported that the Steelers also added linebacker Marte Mapu to their practice squad.
Given the struggles of Pittsburgh's inside linebackers over the past season-plus in addition to the tackling issues that have plagued the team, perhaps Mapu could eventually come up from the practice squad and provide a little bit of a spark in the middle of the defense.
Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots safety Marte Mapu (15) against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
A third-round pick by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the 2023 NFL Draft, Mapu played in all 17 of the team's games as a rookie and made one start. Over that span, he logged 18 tackles and a forced fumble while garnering 204 snaps on defense and 217 on special teams.
In 2024, Mapu was on the field for 486 of New England's defensive snaps and 113 of their special teams reps over 10 games (nine starts) after spending the early part of the season on the reserve/injured list with a calf injury.
Mapu also dealt with a neck injury that year, though he did log 46 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception when he was out on the field.
During the 2025 campaign, Mapu largely filled a special teams role for the Patriots in Mike Vrabel's first year as the team's head coach.
He played 120 defensive snaps and 255 on special teams, closing out the season with 25 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception while also adding a tackle during New England's run to Super Bowl LX, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
Mapu was later traded to the Houston Texans this past offseason, but was waived from IR before final roster cuts with an injury settlement.
He worked out for the Steelers on October 2, and now he'll have a chance to potentially make an impact for them this season.
Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu (30) warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Mapu is not a thumper or much of a difference-maker against the run. His tackling took a major step forward in 2025, as Pro Football Focus credited him with having a missed tackle rate of 0.0 percent, though his career mark is still dubious in that regard at 13.5 percent.
Mapu's greatest quality is both his usefulness as a special teamer as well as his versatility on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in coverage.
A hybrid defender who can spend time at both inside linebacker and safety while also having the ability to play in the slot, Mapu is a Swiss Army knife who could move around Patrick Graham's defense.
He's likely not going to come in and threaten to take playing time away from Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson, though if he is ever elevated from the practice squad or even signed to the 53-man roster at some point, Graham could get more creative with some of his looks and overall packages with Mapu on the field given his flexibility and coverage ability.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as What Steelers Are Getting in Marte Mapu .
