Photo: Timothy Matwey/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
Edmonton Elks’ defensive tackle J-Min Pelley worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday.
The 25-year-old saw limited action with the Elks in 2023, suiting up in nine games due to injuries where he registered eight defensive tackles on the season. The six-foot-five, 330-pound defender made 11 defensive tackles during his rookie season and started seven games, including six of the club’s final seven regular season contests.
Pelley took a unique path to the CFL, as he committed to the University of Calgary Dinos in 2019 following stints with the Calgary Colts and Okanagan Sun of the Canadian Junior Football League. He was named a second-team All-Canadian in his lone U Sports season but didn’t return to the Dinos following the cancelled 2020 campaign due to academic challenges.
Pelley wasn’t going to be eligible for the CFL draft until 2023 but was able to enter the league one year early due to a rarely-used bylaw designed to help prospects experiencing financial hardship. He was subsequently made available to teams as a supplemental pick and was claimed by the Elks, who forfeited their second-round selection in the 2022 CFL draft to secure his rights.
Pelley remains under contract with the Elks for the 2024 season but can explore NFL opportunities through the CFL’s annual workout window, which extends from November 20 until February 13, 2024. The first day that CFL players can sign reserve/futures contracts with NFL teams is January 8, 2024.
The Steelers (9-7) travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens (13-3) on Saturday, January 6th with kickoff slated for 4:30 p.m. ET.