Vance McDonald had his arm in a sling at the Rooney Complex on Tuesday, making his availability for next Monday night's game against the Bengals questionable at best.
The Steelers obviously think their starting tight end might be out a while. Tuesday night, they traded for Seahawks tight end Nick Vannett. The Steelers gave up one of their three 2020 fifth-round draft picks. The Steelers own picks from the Dolphins and Jaguars in the fifth round.
Vannett is in his fourth NFL season, all with the Seahawks. He has appeared in 42 career games, making 16 starts, including one this season.
Vannett, who had a 13-yard catch in the Seahawks' 28-26 win over the Steelers two weeks ago, has 48 career receptions for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
His acquisition marks the second time in the past eight days the Steelers have made a trade for a veteran player. Last week, they made a deal with the Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, sending their first-round pick in 2020 to Miami along with two other late-round picks in exchange for the defensive back and two late-round selections.
An Ohio State product, Vannett, 26, is in the final season of his rookie contract. The 2016 third-round pick is making $736,000 this season.
The Steelers have been in the market for another tight end since losing Jesse James to the Lions in free agency in March. Xavier Grimble had been filling the No. 2 spot behind McDonald, with rookie Zach Gentry serving as the No. 3.
That wasn't the only move the Steelers made at the tight end position Tuesday. The team also signed former Notre Dame tight end Alize Mack to its practice squad. Linebacker Robert Spillane was released to make room for Mack.
A seventh-round draft pick of the Saints this year, Mack caught 36 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns in his final season at Notre Dame. He appeared in two preseason games for the Saints but did not record a catch.
Mack had been on the Saints' practice squad but was released late last week.
The move was one of two the Steelers made on their practice squad Tuesday. The team also signed defensive back Alexander Myres to their practice squad, releasing defensive back Trevon Mathis.
Myres, a University of Houston product, was with the team in the offseason, but developed mononucleosis at the start of training camp and was released.
