Pittsburgh Steelers DL Daniel Ekuale came to the Steelers as a free agent this offseason after his best season as a pro, starting 16 games and accumulating 52 total tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss for the New England Patriots. But heading into the 2024 season, Ekuale thought his career was close to being finished.
He ended the 2023 season with a torn triceps that caused him to miss 14 games, and with 2024 being the last year on his deal, Ekuale said he entered the season in a “dark place.”
“I think for me, when I went down with my injury, third game of the season two years ago, I was in a very dark place, knowing this might be it for me, I don’t know if I’ll have another opportunity with how my season ended with a torn bicep. So when I came in one more year with my contract with the Patriots, I kind of was in a dark place, telling myself this was a make-or-break year for me,” Ekuale told Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on his Chipped Ham & Football Podcast.
When Christian Barmore was sidelined ahead of the season due to blood clots, Ekuale knew he had an opportunity to extend his career if he played well.
“That’s when I told myself that this is gonna be my year to get me another year in the league, or it’s not gonna be,” he said.
Ekuale delivered, playing the best football of his career and parlaying that into an opportunity for a seventh NFL season with the Steelers. He’s slated to push for a starting job in Pittsburgh one year after being a full-time starter for the first time in his career, but that could change depending on how the Steelers’ draft and the rest of their offseason goes. Still, Ekuale will be a key depth piece for the Steelers, and he proved last season he’s still got a lot left in the tank.
It’s tough for players on the periphery of a roster, because any significant injury like the one Ekuale suffered can be devastating for their chances to meaningfully continue their career. Despite not being in the best head space and thinking his time in the league could be done, Ekuale persevered and put forward his best season in the league.
Daniel Ekuale said after last season, he now feels like he’s at the peak of his career, and if he can produce the same way he did last season or build off that, the Steelers will be very happy with their investment in him.
