Steelers add WR Jakobie Kenney-James, waive Cole Burgess with injury designation

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed wide receiver Jakobie Kenney-James, the team announced Tuesday, as they continue to shape their roster ahead of the regular season. The move comes with a corresponding transaction that clears space at the position.

In the same set of roster moves, the Steelers waived wide receiver Cole Burgess with an injury designation. Burgess, according to the report, suffered a lower-body injury earlier in the week, prompting the injury-related roster action.

For a team in the NFL, additions like Kenney-James during the offseason and preseason period typically report a short-window opportunity. The Steelers are still evaluating players for roles across the wide receiver depth chart, including who can provide reliable depth on offense, contribute on special teams, and handle the day-to-day demands of pro playbooks and camp practices.

The Kenney-James signing also reflects how teams treat the wide receiver position during camp. With final roster spots often determined by a mix of route precision, hands, separation ability, and execution under pressure, teams frequently cycle through multiple receivers in search of the right combination of talent and fit. The Steelers’ decision to bring in Kenney-James suggests they saw something in his profile worth a closer look within their system.

Burgess’ injury designation matters even when the injury details are limited in early reports. When a player is waived with that type of designation, it affects roster status while the team handles the immediate logistics of the position group. It also creates an opening for other receivers to increase their reps, because every day a receiver is sidelined can change how quickly the team finds replacements.

As the Steelers continue to work through camp, the immediate question is how Kenney-James looks against the competition level Pittsburgh faces in practices and preseason work. For Burgess, the key next step is what happens after the waiver process and how his recovery timeline plays out, though that will depend on the outcome of the injury-related roster handling.