A news item that passed by without fanfare has a lot of intrigue for Wisconsin Badger fans. For the average NFL fan, it's simply the churn of a camp roster, but for Badger fans there are two simultaneous stories playing out. One is about former tight end Lance Mason making it in the NFL, and the second is that if he doesn't and the 5-in-5 lawsuit goes through, could Mason return to Wisconsin? Does a UDFA contract count, and would it make his contract null and void to return? Lots to figure out.
First, though, to the actual news. The fact that the Seattle Seahawks who are loaded with tight ends decided to cut Lance Mason last week to sign fullback Brock Lampe, which hold on to that thought for a second cause there's another former Badger that may benefit from the Seahawks and fullbacks.
The Steelers, not enjoying the depth of tight end they had with JJ Galbreath, went and grabbed Mason off waivers and got him on a plane to Pittsburgh to get installed. He didn't record a stat in preseason game one, as he was fresh, but there's hope he can see some action in preseason Week 2.
We have claimed WR Colton Dowell (from San Francisco 49ers) and TE Lance Mason (from Seattle Seahawks) off waivers and released TE JJ Galbreath and WR A.T. Perry. @BordasLaw https://t.co/oXpF894cmJ
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 7, 2026
Lance Mason is already making the news in Pittsburgh after a camp fight
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Mason made a quick splash in Pittsburgh at training camp when he got into it with Robert Spears-Jennings. The story from Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor is, "Fireworks in the final team period of today’s practice. Rookie Robert Spears-Jennings laid a big hit on Max Hurleman. Lance Mason came over to yell at RSJ for the hit, and then everything exploded. Something had been brewing for a couple snaps with Mason McCormick chirping E Rob."
Training camp fights are pretty normal, and Wisconsin has already had a few of their own this year, but Mason, who's fighting for a roster spot, is already in the thick of it. Early impression for the UDFA rookie? Sure.
The intrigue of it all is this: if Mason doesn't make the Pittsburgh roster and the lawsuit for 2022 athletes goes through (allowing them one extra year of eligibility), would he try to come back? Lots of strings attached to that, but you can read more about it here.
The other news lost in the shuffle of all of this is that former Wisconsin Badger fullback Jackson Acker was released by the Buffalo Bills today, as they seem to have determined their fullback depth chart. Could the Seahawks come calling, as they are clearly looking for fullback help? This would certainly be a full-circle Badger connection if Lance Mason is cut by the Seahawks to make way for the eventual addition of Acker.
The Badgers have 12 UDFAs this season, so there will be a lot more of this happening as roster crunches get closer. You can see how each and every one of them did by clicking into this article.
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