Steelers A to Z: La'Mical Perine brings NFL experience to backup running back competition

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

RB La’Mical Perine

Experience/age: 17 career NFL games in three seasons/26

Contract status: $1.055 million cap hit if he makes the team

The past: Perine was signed by the Steelers on May 23, six days after he was let go by the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Perine was a bit player on the Chiefs’ run to the Super Bowl title. He spent much of the season on Kansas City’s practice squad and was elevated three times. In three games, he played 59 snaps, which led to 22 carries for 77 yards rushing and three receptions for 33 yards. Most of his work came in the season finale when the Chiefs rested many of their starters with their postseason positioning having been established.

Perine saw some special teams snaps in the divisional round and conference championship games. He was inactive for the Super Bowl.

Perine entered the NFL in 2020 as a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets. He appeared in 10 games as rookie and rushed for 232 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 63 yards. In his second season, Perine appeared in just four games.

Cut by the Jets during the 2022 training camp, Perine spent that year on the practice squads of the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins.

La’Mical Perine is active! ???? pic.twitter.com/8Ge4hw7JfS

— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) November 5, 2023

2024 outlook: The Steelers are giving Perine a chance to get his NFL career back on track. He will enter training camp competing for a backup running back spot that was held by Anthony McFarland for parts of the 2023 season.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are Nos. 1 and 1A on the depth chart at running back. The Steelers also will have rookie undrafted free agent Daijun Edwards, first-year player Aaron Shampklin and fifth-year vet Jonathan Ward competing for that spot.

Perine provides the Steelers a veteran backup candidate who has experience on special teams, which usually is a deciding factor when final roster cuts are made.