Though he didn’t log a single defensive snap with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, NT Breiden Fehoko still enjoyed his time with his new team. Taking to Twitter earlier this week, Fehoko spoke highly of his time with the Steelers and excitement for 2024, though it’s unclear whom he’ll be playing for.
“Year 4 was special in that black and gold. Getting to learn under the best and evolve my game into a player I didn’t think I could tap into is priceless. I’m Ready to take off in YEAR 5! LFG,” Fehoko wrote on Twitter.
Fehoko signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in early April. A run-plugger with the Los Angeles Chargers, Fehoko was ticketed to have a similar role in Pittsburgh. He impressed during the summer, earning praise from coaches for his run defense, and our post-camp evaluation of him was positive.
“All he did this camp was stop the run. In those team run periods, he balled out and earned Mike Tomlin’s praise.”
But he was a one-note player who didn’t offer much as a pass rusher. Caught as a third-string nose tackle along a defensive line with depth, Fehoko was the team’s odd man out and released at final cutdowns. Re-signed to the practice squad, he was added back to the 53-man roster early in the year following Cam Heyward’s groin surgery that sent him to IR. Despite Pittsburgh struggling to stop the run, Fehoko struggled to get a helmet for gameday, including being a surprise inactive in Week Three against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Waived in mid-November, two weeks after Heyward returned, Fehoko was again signed to the practice squad and finished the season there. Fehoko wasn’t playing much his first few years in the NFL but he’s one year removed from logging nearly 300 snaps with the Los Angeles Chargers, making his zero snaps a steep dropoff.
Still unsigned to a Reserve/Futures deal, his practice squad contract expired last week, making him a free agent. With Keeanu Benton firmly entrenched as the Steelers’ starting nose tackle and Fehoko unable to crack the Steelers’ rotation, the latter might look elsewhere to play in 2024. However, Montravius Adams is a free agent and if he leaves, Fehoko could return with a clearer path to playing time, even if his role would be limited to backup base-package work.
