Brandon Johnson moves to the Raiders after Steelers make room for punter Aidan Laros

Brandon Johnson is changing coasts within the AFC West. The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to reports, after the Steelers released Johnson to make room for punter Aidan Laros.

For Pittsburgh, the move is tied to a specific roster priority. The Steelers claimed Laros off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then moved Johnson out shortly after, leaving Johnson to find a new team as the offseason roster begins to take shape. The Laros claim and Johnson release are the core facts reported in the transaction timeline.

Johnson now heads to a different offensive scheme and, at least initially, a different path to snaps. The Raiders’ receiving room will continue to be shaped by depth-chart competition, practice-squad opportunities, and the pace of training-camp development. Johnson’s role in Las Vegas will likely be defined by how quickly he can pick up the playbook, earn trust on routes and assignments, and translate his experience into consistent field usage.

The Steelers’ side of the story is more about roster churn than a one-player shift in identity. Pittsburgh has used offseason releases and acquisitions to refine unit balance, and this particular decision paired the addition of a punter through the waiver process with the removal of a veteran wideout. That creates a clearer opening for Laros to lock in at his position while Johnson seeks a fresh start elsewhere.

It is also a reminder of how quickly NFL teams can alter plans based on waiver timing. A claim like Laros’ typically changes the downstream roster math immediately, especially when it affects a weekly-starter position group. The release of Johnson indicates the Steelers valued the punter addition enough to move on from a player occupying a roster spot elsewhere.

For the Raiders, the signing gives them another experienced option in the receiving corps as they sort out who can handle both standard routes and situational work. Veteran depth can matter in the NFL even when players are not starters, because injuries, matchup changes, and special-teams needs often draw on the same group of players.

What to watch next is whether Las Vegas uses Johnson primarily as a developmental receiver, a camp-body for special teams, or a legitimate rotation target early in the preseason. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh will be watching whether Laros settles in quickly enough to stabilize the punting phase without creating new roster needs elsewhere.