Steelers sign LB Jamin Davis to one-year deal

by: Zack Geoghegan20 hours agoZGeogheganKSR

A former Kentucky Wildcat has found a new NFL home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Thursday that the franchise has signed linebacker Jamin Davis to a one-year contract ahead of the 2026 season. This will be the 27-year-old’s sixth NFL team after spending four seasons with the Washington Commanders (which drafted him 19th overall) and short stints with the Minnesota Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders. He was also part of the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets organizations, but did not play in any games for those teams.

In the same press release, Pittsburgh announced that tight end Robert Tonyan has also inked a one-year deal, while tight end Chamon Metayer was released. Davis and Tonyan were part of the Steelers’ minicamp on a tryout basis, but proved valuable enough to sign season-long deals.

We have signed LB Jamin Davis and TE Robert Tonyan to one-year contracts and waived TE Chamon Metayer. @BordasLaw

📝: https://t.co/nrOp8qnkzG pic.twitter.com/hRe2brrZAD
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) June 4, 2026

A former first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Davis was a First Team All-SEC performer during his final season as a Wildcat in 2020. He recorded 102 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery that year.

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In total, Davis was part of the Kentucky football program for four seasons. A three-star recruit out of Long County (GA), he redshirted his true freshman campaign in 2017 before making an immediate impact as a redshirt freshman in 2018. He appeared in all 13 games, logging 10 tackles and an interception. He again started all 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2019, totaling 32 tackles, one sack, two quarterback hurries, and an interception.

But Davis’ breakout season in 2020 turned him into a high-level draft pick. He’s appeared in 56 career pro games across six years in the league, including 37 starts. Davis played a big role for Washington throughout his first three seasons, but hasn’t seen the field as often since then. Here’s to hoping Pittsburgh is the change of scenery he needs to get his pro career back on track.