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Steelers Reunite With Just-Released Defender
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- Steelers Reunite With Just-Released Defender
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Daequan Hardy at practice on Nov. 5, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing back one of their recently-released defenders.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding recently-released cornerback Daequan Hardy to their injured reserve after waiving him on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of Houston's KPRC2 .
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Hardy signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers in January after spending the last two months of the 2025 season on Pittsburgh's practice squad.
He played at Penn Hills and on the same 7-on-7 team as former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin 's son, Dino Tomlin.
"Me, Joey (Porter Jr.), Dino, we all played on the same 7-on-7 team," Hardy said in April of 2024 . "So, I would always be around Mike Tomlin. I had a couple of conversations with him. I don't know if he remembers me, but I sure hope so."
Like most kids that grew up in Western Pennsylvania, Hardy was a Steelers fan. So, now he'll still have a chance to suit up in the Black and Gold if he can get healthy.
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"Since I grew up a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, one of the guys we had was Mike Hilton ," Hardy said. "So, I felt like, not mimicking, but watching him do his thing. I saw myself being in that same position when I get into that same position. I just tell teams that, honestly, you can play me anywhere on the field. Play me inside, outside, in the box, on the hash, I don't care. I'll show out."
Hardy was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He spent his first season in Buffalo on the practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract with Buffalo on Jan. 27, 2025.
Buffalo Bills defensive back Daequan Hardy during a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 17, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
On Aug. 26, Hardy was released by the Bills as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was then released by Buffalo again on Aug. 28.
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Chris Ward contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Reunite With Just-Released Defender
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