Former Saints first-round draft pick Andrus Peat attempting NFL comeback with Steelers

Former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl offensive lineman Andrus Peat has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Mike Tomlin announced the move on Thursday morning. Peat, 31, is expected to fortify a thin and questionable offensive line tasked with protecting veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Saints selected Peat with the 13th overall choice in Round 1 of the 2015 NFL draft. Despite having played left tackle at Stanford, Peat started just eight games at tackle as a rookie, and he struggled with consistency over his first few years on both the left and right sides. When the Saints moved him inside to guard, Peat responded with three straight seasons as a Pro Bowl alternate from 2018 to 2020.

Peat was moved back to left tackle during the 2023 season when it became clear Trevor Penning couldn't hold it down, and did well over 12 starts. During a nine-year career with New Orleans, Peat appeared in 111 regular season games with 102 starts. Injuries were a frequent problem for him.

Andrus Peat was with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. He appeared in 15 games but made only one start, and played a career-low 6% of the team's offensive snaps. Peat will now have an opportunity to resurrect his career in Pittsburgh and could even compete for a starting role, most likely at guard, while bringing some versatility to play tackle or inside.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL free agency: Steelers sign former Saints Round 1 pick Andrus Peat