Indianapolis Colts defensive end Genard Avery (knee) is being placed on Injured Reserve on Friday due to an LCL/meniscus knee injury that will require season-ending surgery. Avery, a former fifth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2018 out of Memphis, spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, totaling just five tackles, one sack and five QB hits in nine games (zero starts). In his five seasons in the NFL with three different teams, he has 106 tackles (65 solo), 8.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 29 QB hits, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 62 games (17 starts). Avery's season-ending injury is a hit to Indy's defensive end depth heading into the season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free-agent linebacker Genard Avery and safety Karl Joseph to undisclosed one-year deals on Thursday. Avery, a fifth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, had a career-high 43 tackles (21 solo), four tackles for loss and one sack in 16 games (12 starts) in his second full season with the Philadelphia Eagles last year. He will provide linebacker depth for Pittsburgh in 2022. Joseph will return to the Steelers after spending most of last year on the team's practice squad. The 28-year-old appeared in just two games for Pittsburgh last year and had two combined tackles. Joseph was originally a first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2016, and he has 221 career solo tackles, five interceptions, 20 passes defensed and three sacks in six NFL seasons.
Genard Avery
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