On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills announced that Deon Cain, a former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, had been released from their practice squad. Although Cain joined the team late in training camp, he stayed on their practice squad despite his inconsistent play throughout the season.
With a spot on the United Football League’s Birmingham Stallions, Cain will now search for another NFL spot or possibly return to the UFL in spring.
In order to return to the NFL, Cain spent two seasons with the Stallions. He signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, but he was not added to their practice squad.
His NFL career began at Clemson, where he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But he only played one season in Indianapolis before being picked up by the Steelers in 2019 due to several ailments in their wide receiver room. During the stretch, Cain produced some outstanding plays at quarterback alongside Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges.
However, the Steelers moved on in 2020, and he joined the Baltimore Ravens, their divisional foes. After being removed from injured reserve due to an injury sustained during training camp, the Eagles added him on their roster. After spending some time in Philadelphia in 2021 and 2022, Cain was released and chose to sign with the USFL’s Stallions instead of signing a contract to attend an NFL training camp.
After collecting three touchdowns and drawing attention to his ability while with the Stallions, he was named MVP of the USFL Championship Game. With the Stallions, the 28-year-old Cain has won consecutive titles.
