On the eighth day of training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers focused on more than just the preseason preparation. There have been a wholesale of changes in the Steelers team this season, including the HC, with Mike McCarthy taking over the reins. With the roster now slowly getting finalized, the Steelers made a move for a former Dallas Cowboys defensive back, who played under Mike McCarthy.

DB Israel Mukuamu was signed on a one-year contract by the Steelers. To make room for him, they had to release CB Ahmari Harvey, who went undrafted in 2026.

The former South Carolina Gamecocks and the 2021 NFL draft sixth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, Israel Mukuamu, spent four seasons under head coach Mike McCarthy. At the end of the HC’s tenure, he was released by the Cowboys and signed by the Carolina Panthers.  

His time with the Panthers ended in November 2025. He wasn’t able to record any stat in his time there. However, his time in Dallas with head coach McCarthy at the helm was decent. He walks into Pittsburgh after playing 51 games, out of which he started three and racked up 42 combined tackles and four defended passes. 

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Even though he has an old connection in Pittsburgh and gets reunited with McCarthy, there is another factor that could lead the Steelers to keep Mukuamu on their 53-man roster. That’s his experience on special teams. After all, McCarthy’s team needs some immediate assistance after they lost safety Miles Killebrew and tight end/fullback Connor Heyward this offseason. 

Killebrew has been the special teams captain who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2024 when he tied for the most blocked punts by any team. At that time, he led the Steelers with 13 special teams tackles, including a team-best 11 solo tackles. Heyward, on the other hand, left Pittsburgh with 28 total tackles and 1,124 special teams snaps in four seasons played.

Mukuamu will be filling the void after making 955 special teams snaps in his five-year NFL career. At 6-foot-4 with long arms and experience in several roles, he is the type of versatile backup defensive back the Steelers often value.

This is not the first time that McCarthy has trusted players who played under him in Dallas. Running back Rico Dowdle had a similar journey of playing with Dallas and then Carolina, and is now playing under McCarthy in Pittsburgh.

However, while the Steelers might be confident about adding Mukuamu, they had to waive cornerback Ahmari Harvey. It has been a tough ride for the Georgia Tech player who went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. While he signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in May, Denver soon released him. It was then that Pittsburgh signed him in June and released him on August 6. 

Meanwhile, given what Mukuamu brings to the table, his spot seems to be permanent on the Steelers’ roster. However, his jersey number is not.

Why Israel Mukuamu May Not Keep No. 30 in Mike McCarthy’s camp

Teams frequently change jersey numbers throughout training camp and the preseason. As of now, Pittsburgh has assigned Mukuamu the No. 30 jersey, but he might have to give that number up. After all, the jersey number belongs to running back Jaylen Warren. 

In that case, chances are low for Mukuamu to keep the No.30 jersey if he makes the initial 53-man roster. While there still might be uncertainty about the jersey number, it looks like he might make the team.

Right now, the Steelers’ secondary is dealing with multiple injuries. Both Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey are on the PUP list. The duo were listed as starters in the first unofficial depth chart released by the team on Wednesday, August 5.

The race for a roster spot just got more interesting with Mukuamu entering the mix. Despite joining camp late, he still has all three preseason games to make a strong impression.

It’s now to be seen where the Steelers list Mukuamu on their official depth chart.