WV Native Ryan Switzer Back in NFL with Cleveland Browns

West Virginia native Ryan Switzer is back in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns have signed Switzer, the Charleston native and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver to their practice squad, the team announced on Thursday.

Switzer, 25, was released by the Steelers on the eve of the regular season after spending all offseason and each of the last two seasons with the team. Switzer was replaced on the Steelers’ roster by Ray-Ray McCloud.

In 25 games with Pittsburgh, Switzer caught 44 total passes for 280 yards and one touchdown. He was also the team’s primary returner, returning 38 punts for 281 yards and 39 kickoffs for 773 yards.

The Steelers acquired Switzer along with a 2019 sixth-round pick from the Oakland Raiders for a 2019 fifth-round pick on the eve of the 2018 season.

Switzer was a two-time Kennedy Award winner as the top high school football player in West Virginia during a standout prep career at Charleston’s George Washington High. He attended North Carolina and in four seasons with the Tar Heels, caught 243 passes for 2,903 yards and 19 touchdowns and returned 99 punts for 1,082 yards and seven more scores.

The Steelers are scheduled to meet the Browns in Week 6 for the first time this season.