It was one heck of a run in Pittsburgh. But William Gay’s time in the Steel City is over. About 25 minutes ago, Gay announced on his Instagram page the Steelers will release him.
Gay made 87 career starts as a Steeler. Drafted in 2007, the last of Mike Tomlin’s original draft picks, he picked off 11 passes in Pittsburgh, returning a whopping five of them for touchdowns. But with the team adding more depth at corner and Gay’s increasing age/decreasing play, he is one of the veterans Kevin Colbert hinted at as not returning.
He never missed a game in his career, playing in 176 straight, a remarkable feat in today’s NFL. He was also well-known for his community work and activism, a strong supporter to end domestic violence. He was awarded the team’s Ed Block Courage Award in 2015.
Releasing Gay will save the team $1.75 million in salary cap space before roster displacement.
We’ll update this story throughout the afternoon.
