‘Mister Irrelevant’ Tae Crowder hopes to make mark as newest Steelers linebacker

As recently as October, Tae Crowder was so valuable to what was then a team with one of the best records in the NFL that he never left the field on defense for three New York Giants early-season games.

As recently as Halloween, Crowder was still a starter for the Giants, who started 6-1 and remain in playoff position in the NFC.

But come Christmas, Crowder had been waived and demoted to the practice squad. On New Year’s Day, though, he will be part of the active roster for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I am blessed to be here,” Crowder said from UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Thursday after his second practice with the team. “Seventh round, last pick (of the 2020 draft), it’s not something that a lot of people are doing, staying in the league for three years. Words can’t explain how I feel to have another opportunity.”

The way Tae Crowder avoids this block from Taylor Lewan is more impressive than the actual hit. ???? pic.twitter.com/DPtPVDuXLl

— Lᴀᴡʀᴇɴᴄᴇ Tʏɴᴇs (@lt4kicks) September 13, 2022

Signed off the Giants’ practice squad to the Steelers 53-man roster Tuesday, Crowder comes with 41 NFL games and 31 starts at inside linebacker. Crowder has accumulated 232 tackles (124 solo, nine for loss), two sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles eight passes defended and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown over an NFL career that seemed improbable given he was “Mr. Irrelevant” of the draft 2 ½ years ago.

With that distinction came a degree of (tongue-in-cheek) fame and recognition. This year’s “Mr. Irrelevant” has become something of a mini NFL star: Brock Purdy has performed well in three starts for one of the league’s best teams, the San Francisco 49ers.

While Crowder likely won’t have anything close to that kind of impact on the Steelers down the stretch of their season, he perhaps can be part of the 2023 roster as a special-teams contributor who can add to an inside linebacker corps that might be in transition.

Tae Crowder is going to have to settle for being Mr. Irrelevant without the frills for now. https://t.co/I25SFk8NhZ

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 30, 2020

“I feel like (a future role) will be something (Crowder and Steelers’ brass) will talk about later on in the future,” Crowder said. “Right now, I just want to come in and put my head down, go to work and help the team out any way I can.”

Undersized at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Crowder has not been graded kindly by Pro Football Focus, which has rated him 91st (sixth-from-last), 94th (dead last) and 94th (second-to-last) among inside linebackers, respectively, the last three seasons.

But with some length and speed, Crowder can, at the very least, contribute on special teams and perhaps can carve out a role as a hybrid safety-type after a college career at Georgia in which he started as a senior following a conversion from running back as a freshman.

“The Steelers have got a strong tradition (on defense), and that’s another special thing about being here,” Crowder. “That’s what makes me wanna be here more, be a part of that tradition and trying to carry it on.”

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.