Pittsburgh Steelers release cornerback after injury..

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released veteran cornerback Grayland Arnold from injured reserve with an injury settlement. Arnold suffered a calf injury last Wednesday during a kick coverage drill.

During the drill, Arnold went to tackle returner John Rhys Plumlee, but as he stepped, he went down to the ground in a heap. He would limp off the field and exit practice on a cart. The next day, the Steelers placed Arnold on injured reserve with a calf injury and signed Kiondre Thomas.

Arnold is a vested veteran, meaning the Steelers could not designate him as waived/injured. He is not subject to waivers. As a result, they placed him on injured reserve and released him from injured reserve with the settlement.

The Steelers will pay Arnold for the amount of time he will miss with a calf injury, and following his full recovery, Arnold is free to sign with any team. Arnold can return to the Steelers, but only after the time stated in the injury settlement, plus an additional three weeks.

That would put Arnold’s return to the Steelers, if it did happen, at some point in the middle of the season. With Arnold out, Beanie Bishop and Thomas Graham compete for the starting slot cornerback spot. However, if neither grab the job, the Steelers could look to the outside to find their solution rather than looking internally.