The Steelers re-signed Fitzgerald Toussaint to a one-year contract. Toussaint was a restricted free agent, but the team opted not to tender him an offer and he became an unrestricted free agent on March 14 when free agency began.
Toussaint spent the first 10 games of the 2017 season on the practice squad, before being activated for the Packers game in Week 12. He played in six games, finishing the year with six carries for 25 yards, and two receptions for nine yards. In three seasons in the NFL he has 44 carries for 137 yards and eight receptions for 69 yards. He also returned six kickoffs for 84 yards, a 15.7 yard average with a long of 23 yards last season. For his career he has 21 kickoff returns for 413 yards, a 19.7 yard average.
Toussaint's road to the NFL wasn't an easy one. He wasn't drafted, wasn't even signed as an undrafted free agent in the days following the 2014 NFL Draft. Instead he was offered a tryout with the Baltimore Ravens, and shortly thereafter got a call back to come in because they needed some depth at running back. He was released by the Ravens before the start of the regular season, signed to the practice squad, added to the active roster, released, signed back to the practice squad, added to the active roster again, released again, and back to the practice squad. All in less than a month. He finished that season on the active roster, but was eventually let go before the start of the 2015 season.
Toussaint was signed to the Steelers practice squad just two days after the Ravens released him the final time in 2015, and added to the active roster on Nov. 27, and spent the entire 2016 on the active roster.
"I work hard until my opportunity comes," Toussaint said previously. "That is why when an opportunity does approach, I am confident because I put in the work that I need."
