The Pittsburgh Steelers are releasing NT Isaiah Buggs ahead of their regular season finale, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who tweeted the news moment ago.
Buggs has appeared in ten games for the Steelers this season, starting six games at nose tackle in place of NT Tyson Alualu, lost five quarters into the year due to a fractured ankle. But Buggs’ play was poor and he hasn’t dressed since the team’s Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers due to COVID, an ankle injury, and being a plain healthy scratch.
He’s shown issues with alignment and assignment, leading to inconsistent and frustrating play. He lost out on playing time to Henry Mondeaux and more recently, Carlos Davis, who returned off IR.
He’ll finish his Steelers’ career with seven starts and 29 total appearances, totaling 31 tackles and zero sacks. His rookie contract ran through next year, leaving a small dead money charge on the books for next season.
Buggs was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 Draft, reuniting with his college DL Coach Karl Dunbar. But Buggs, while talented, never played up to that ability. And so the Steelers are moving on.
