Former Steelers DB Finds New Team

A NFL Combine record-breaking Pittsburgh Steelers defender is headed elsewhere.

Aug 19, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Abraham Beauplan (39) and cornerback Kalon Barnes (27) and safety Theo Jackson (25) lead the team onto the field before the game against the Tennessee Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad defensive back has made a career move, shifting from the NFL to the CFL, as Kalon Barnes signed with the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League.

Barnes spent time with the Steelers on two separate occasions, spending time on their practice squad for part of both 2023 and 2024. Barnes has appeared in two games in his career, both of which on special teams during the 2022 NFL season with the Vikings.

Barnes was selected by the Carolina Panthers with their seventh round pick, No. 242 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Baylor University.

Barnes was part of six different NFL teams between 2022 and 2024, splitting time between the Panthers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Steelers, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. He additionally spent the first couple months of 2025 with the San Antonio Brahmas, getting released on March 20. Barnes sustained an injury whilst in training camp for the current XFL season, leading to his release from the Brahmas.

Barnes notched a 4.23 40-yard dash, which slots him in as the fastest tested cornerback in NFL Combine history, put him on the radar of scouts around the league, but his lack of impressive counting stats whilst at Baylor made his selection drop to the seventh round. He has yet to be able to combine both his impressive physical traits and on-field production, leading to his inability to stick at the NFL level.

The Elks finished their 2024 campaign at 7-11, capping a below average season for the franchise. The Elks finished fourth in their division, one spot outside of last year's CFL Playoffs.

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