The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a shocking move, reportedly releasing Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro according to a tweet from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
DeCastro, the team’s first round pick in 2012, had started 124 career games for the team. He battled injuries last season and hadn’t practiced this spring.
The 24th pick of the 2012 draft, DeCastro fell into the Steelers’ laps after experiencing a draft-day fall. After an injury-plagued rookie season, he started 15 games in 2013. He would go on to be a staple along the Steelers’ offensive line. He made six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams.
It’s unclear if he’s considering retirement or if the team is moving in a different direction, part of a quickly changing offensive line.
According to this report, DeCastro is dealing with an ankle injury that has him “evaluating his future.” It required surgery before the 2020 season, perhaps one of several reasons why he struggled last season.
The Steelers confirmed the move with GM Kevin Colbert saying:
“David was without a doubt one of the premier offensive linemen during his time with us,” said General Manager and Vice President Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “He helped us win a lot of football games, but it was David’s consistency, reliability and professionalism that stood out more than anything else. We wish him the best moving forward in his career.”
With the move, the Steelers will free up close to $9 million in cap space.
Though it may not be “new” news, Ian Rapoport says the Steelers remain in talks with Trai Turner.
Per Aaron Wilson, the team released him with a non-football injury designation.
Developing story.
